The Abyss Between
by MarchHoliday
Summary: During a time when the All-Father has yet to choose a son to claim Kingship over the Nine Realms, Lady Vijona is plucked from her life in Alfheim and thrown into Asgard for a year to court both of the city's Princes. Will she be able to develop feelings for one of them, or will the darkness that lurks in the distance obscure her thoughts on her future nuptials?
1. The Beginning

**_Author's Note:_**_ This story is told as a precursor to THOR(2011). I pulled much of my information from the Marvel Universe, assorted Norse mythology, and Norse customs. For example: Erradóttir would be the equivalent of saying Daughter of Erri, Odinson would be the equivalent of saying Son of Odin, Laufeyson would be the equivalent of saying Son of Laufey, etc. Surnames are tricky in Norse culture._

* * *

Vijona did not have a chance to look upon Alfheim one last time before she was sucked through the Bifrost. Lights flashed wildly about her in earnest to take her to her new home, and the anticipation made her breathing catch in her chest. A dull roar of white noise commanded her eardrums, and only grew louder with each driving millisecond before her final destination. It became so loud that she wondered if her head might explode before she even got the chance to step foot out of the gate.

Suddenly, the roar stopped, and she was hurled through the other end of the Bifrost. Once her feet touched the metal floor, she could feel her lungs ache for air. She had forgotten that she had been holding her breath during her speedy journey.

The crackling life of the Bifrost suddenly disappeared behind her, as if one had blown out a candle, leaving only echoes of the electric sounds in the golden Observatory. "Welcome to Asgard, Lady Vijona." A deep rumbling voice said with a gentle, commanding, and all knowing tone.

Vijona's lungs appreciated the chilled air of Asgard, and she righted herself easier with each passing moment while the Asgardian walked with purposeful steps down from his pedestal to greet her. "Heimdall the Eternal Vigilant of Asgard. It truly is an honor to meet you. I had not guessed that I would be meeting you so soon in my lifetime." She tilted her head in respect to the towering man, "This honor is given to those whom are much more esteemed than I."

Travelling anywhere between the worlds required the attention of Heimdall, and in some cases the expressed permission of Odin himself. A woman like Vijona, even with all her redeeming qualities, was very unlikely to ever bend the ear of the All-Father and All-Seer. Yes, it was only due to her seemingly fortunate circumstances that she had this privilege.

Heimdall bowed his head in return to Vijona. "It is all of Asgard that has the honor of meeting a future daughter of Odin All-Father, and who will also grant the continued peace between the Vanir and Aesir."

Vijona did not have the luxury to think of the concept behind those words at length previously to her departure. Lord Frey, the ruler of her home Alfheim, had told her to pack her things and head to Asgard. While she did know the reason behind her stay, she had not the chance to dwell on it for long. However, she now stood in Heimdall's Observatory in Asgard; and would soon be on her way to meet the All-Father and the All-Mother, the future ancestors of Vijona's children's children… It all appeared to be suddenly so surreal.

Noticing that Vijona had become lost in her thoughts, Heimdall cleared his throat quietly, bringing the abashed Vanir back to the present. "Your things have arrived ahead of you, as Lord Frey has instructed. Mounted guards are waiting outside here to escort you to Odin's Banquet Hall, where you will meet the King, Queen and Princes."

"Thank-you, Heimdall. Your part in this is appreciated." Vijona imagined opening and closing the Bifrost multiple times for servants carrying her personal belongings was not what the great man had taken oath to when accepting his titles.

Heimdall's all-too-knowing eyes twinkled in amusement, even though the rest of his features did not betray the emotion. "I do everything the All-Father asks of me… Even when he asks to transport personal effects across worlds."

The Vanir woman smiled at Heimdall, beginning to appreciate his desire of adhering to duty and allowing her to pass through the Observatory with only a tilt of her head as farewell. The soft leather of her boots took her quietly through the cosmically golden room to the beginning of the Rainbow Bridge. Two guards stood at the entrance holding three horses, and the brilliant colors of their read and gold armor reflected brilliantly off the retreating daylight of Asgard's skyline.

"Lady Vijona." One of them greeted with stiff adherence to duty. They both bowed in military response to her head tilt, and she accepted the offered reigns of the chestnut mare before her. The same guard that spoke made a move to help the lady on her horse, however she had already swung her leg over the saddle to get herself seated upon the large Asgardian beast.

Vijona smiled inwardly to herself as the man appeared caught off-guard, however he hurriedly made his next objective to be seated upon his own horse. Vijona's long, silver-grey cloak had hidden her riding attire, as she had fully expected to be mobile upon entering Asgard… Not to mention her secret fear of wearing a dress through the Bifrost, and spit out the other side with her skirts over her head.

While appreciating Heimdall's gentle welcome to Asgard, the Vanir woman did not intend to impede upon his hospitality at his Observatory any longer. So, with a final glance to check if her escort was indeed ready for escorting, she kicked her beast into a brisk canter to start her journey across the long bridge to Odin's Banquet Hall.

Vijona watched as the city of Asgard began to light up with the approaching night sky, and the awe of the metallic buildings brought a wide smile to her lips. The cold air caressed her face in gentle ways, pushing back the hood of her cloak and releasing her blonde braided hair to fly behind her like a banner. The Vanir adjusted in her seat before kicking her mare to a full gallop, the wind now whipping her face and passing through the springtime fabric of her riding blouse. Her gloved hands tightened on the reins; leaning forward in the saddle, she encouraged the mare with gentle words. She did not have an affinity with horses like her brother did; however, she knew that if she was going to gallop for a woman sitting on her back, then a few friendly words might be nice to hear.

The Vanir's blue eyes looked down at the Rainbow Bridge beneath her, and she deemed Asgard to truly be one of the greatest wonders in the cosmos. The colors blended in together so brilliantly, and it only became brighter as the night grew longer. Vijona made mental note to make it a priority to see Asgard at midnight in order to take in all its glory. The sounds of wind rushing through her ears only barely made up for the loud sounds of the sea below the Bridge, the waves crashing and bellowing together only seemed too eager to welcome the woman to Asgard as well. The depths of the ocean swirled about below the Bridge, churning away and growing blacker with the retreating light. Vijona shivered, and wondered whether it was brought upon from the chill in the air, or the seemingly endless night within the waters below the glimmering Rainbow Bridge.

She did not have long to dwell upon such things though; the gates of Asgard loomed closer and closer, while her heart beat faster and faster.

* * *

Frigga the All-Mother fussed about Odin's Banquet Hall, making sure that even though this would not be Vijona's public debut in Asgard, she would still feel every bit as welcomed. Frigga had not met with many of her kind, the Vanir, since her marriage to Odin. Once her father Frey was satisfied with Frigga's own welcoming in Asgard, he left and took all her Vanir servants and friends with him. She never resented him for it though; after all she was just beginning her marriage with Odin all those millennia ago… In addition, her Vanir friends at the time still had a bad taste in their mouths whenever she had talked to them about the Aesir culture and her soon to be changing life. Frigga thought Vijona was a strong woman to appear in a strange place without a family or friend to make sure she was settled. Frigga sighed as she altered some goldenrod Asgardian lilies hanging from one of the many grand pillars in Odin's Hall, _Not that she has much a choice_, she thought.

Long ago, the fire demons had become restless with their leader Surtur imprisoned within Midgard's earth for so many years. Factions of their people had splintered off across worlds, appearing with flames and rage, destroying villages of Aesir and Vanir alike. Frigga's father made a move to wipe out the fire demons from the Vanir world, launching a great campaign against them that lasted hundreds of years. Only when Erri the Bold, Vijona's father, died saving Frey's life did the Lord of Alfheim muster enough rage to eliminate the demons from their world, thus ending the threat upon Vanaheim entirely. The fire demons had always been a smaller threat after that, not daring to inspire rage within the Alfheim Lord after their horrific defeat those years ago.

The death of Lord Frey's strongest companion weighed heavy upon his heart, and he swore that he would look after Erri's children until Frey's dying breath. Frey would keep Erri's oldest son, Audven, close on the battlefield and in court; while Vijona was placed in the care of Frey's sister, Lady Freya in Vanaheim, until she came of age to run her own house. That day came and went, and now Vijona was expected to be married and run the house of her husband. Without a mother and father, the entire process of betrothing Vijona to one of Frigga's sons had gone exceedingly fast; much, much faster than what a mother would like.

Perhaps she had been fussing with one lily for too long, but she had managed to strike up the attention of her husband, Odin, whom was seated at the head of the long banquet table. "All-Mother, if you had intended to strangle the floral arrangements all along, then perhaps you should not have labored so intensely over their design." Odin's voice chided with an aloof air that seemed to have always permeated him ever since he first kissed her hand.

Frigga let go of the blooming victim and turned her gaze upon her husband. Odin's beard was especially white this evening, and his eye glimmered with a love that she knew he only had for her. "I only meant to straighten it; however, if the All-Father wishes that I not do my part, and allow his court appear in shambles, he only need say so and I would relinquish my duties to his all-knowing hands." She said right back to him, an equal amount of his aloof nature and love to her tone. He erupted with a few loud chuckles, stretching out his hand to beckon her close. The All-Mother strode across his court, and placed one of her slender hands within his large ones.

"Frigga, you have done finely this night. I am sure that Lady Vijona will be pleased to call Asgard her new home." Odin said warmly and quietly. Often he would have tender moments like these with her in the privacy of their chambers, preferring that no one think him soft or effeminate. However, he also liked to remind those around him that Frigga was his pride and joy, and went to great lengths to make sure she was satisfied. While her blush crept onto her wizened cheeks, as it usually did, the bustling servants only smiled to themselves knowing that the King and Queen of Asgard would always be ever so happily in love.

Odin's words were true though; the court was in fine shape tonight. The entire golden and stone room had been cleaned spotless. All the lamps were lit, and the tapestries shone with the golden brilliance that deemed this room worthy of the title 'Odin's Banquet Hall.' The table was gleaming with deep metallic hues, and the food was appropriately light at this time of night. All this was nearest to Odin's seat, as it was called for in a private welcoming. The best wine was uncorked and breathing upon the strong table, and jeweled wine goblets shone in eagerness to be filled. Frigga looked about for one of her handmaidens, and just the woman she was looking for appeared out of nowhere behind a pillar.

"Gna," Frigga called out to, "has Lady Vijona's room been prepared?"

The slender woman nodded, her umber colored strands of cropped hair peeking out from behind her ears. "Yes, All-Mother. Her things have been arranged in the room above the Quiet Gardens, at your request."

"A fire has been struck as well to heat her chambers?"

"Yes, All-Mother."

"Flowers placed at her bedside, vanity, and bathing chamber?"

Gna nodded once more, bowing slightly at the hip. "Yes, All-Mother. Shall I check upon these things before she arrives?"

Frigga smiled openly to herself and her maiden. Of course there was nothing to fret over. The servants had done everything and beyond what Frigga had asked of them; however, it never hurt to check again. "Just be certain that-"

The great golden doors of the court opened, revealing one Asgardian guard standing at attention. "Lady Vijona has arrived, and is awaiting permission to enter at your beckoning All-Father!"

The All-Mother turned to look at Gna, "Go to my sons, and tell them to arrive here as fast as their legs can carry them! I had not expected her to arrive so quickly." She whispered vigorously. The maid quickly scuttled off, and once again disappeared behind a pillar.

Odin clapped his hand on the banquet table, making everything that touched it clink and shudder. "Everyone to their posts and positions: servants stop what you are doing and attend to your host duties." He commanded with ease to his authority. Standing up from his seat, he gave his wife one last squeeze of her hand before releasing her and taking a swig from his already filled goblet of wine. He straightened his shoulders, his everyday armor shimmering with its metallic hues after being polished. He looked to Frigga as she was straightening her own pearl colored skirts, squaring her appropriately covered shoulders and adjusting the beadwork about her bodice ever so purposefully before giving her golden locks one final pat in its braided up-do. Satisfied with her appearance, she gave a hasty nod to Odin before he bellowed, "Welcome her in!"

* * *

The warmth within Odin's Hall hit Vijona's face before her eyes could adjust to the golden light that permeated far into the hallway behind her. Her two guards ushered her in, and they closed the night away from the warmth of the chamber with a loud _clunk_ from the heavy double doors. The room was spectacular: Goldenrod Asgardian Lilies bloomed out from golden cones suspended from the pillars supporting the room, the table gleamed deep hues of metal and stone, making the table runner appear to bleed the deepest reds from the cloth. All the lights shone brilliantly against the metals within the room, cascading a warm glow about the guards and servants stationed about the room.

As she grew nearer to her soon to be father and mother, she could feel her heart almost race out from her chest. What would talking to the All-Father be like? Would the All-Mother love her? What did they already know about her? Did she disappoint their expectations? Vijona cursed herself silently. She knew she should have worn a dress, and had just gotten over her internal fears. Odin All-Father looked regal in his toned-down armor, carrying the weight of Asgard on his shoulders and all his people within the realms. His remaining eye took in Vijona's appearance closely, noting every detail about her before he nodded to her.

"Vijona Erradóttir, Asgard welcomes you and opens its doors to every good it has to offer you. I offer you a seat at my table, and bid you to begin your stay at my palace with dinner at this very hour." His voice echoed his gentle command throughout the hall, and Vijona could only bow deeply to her All-Father in response.

"There is no other honor I would love more, All-Father." She said, and turned ever so slightly to bow to the All-Mother. "Your hospitality is beyond compare, All-Mother. This court truly shines bright and warms my heart."

Vijona must have said just what the All-Mother wanted to hear, because the woman smiled gracefully at her, the gesture reaching her twinkling blue eyes. "You are too kind, Lady Vijona. I trust that your journey here did not strain you too much?"

The Vanir stood upright once more, shaking her head gracefully to the Queen of Asgard. "It was certainly not what I expected, being my first time pulled through the Bifrost. However, I enjoyed Heimdall's presence at the other side as a welcoming to Asgard. The way he spoke seemed to not judge me too harshly for my inexperience at travelling between worlds."

They were all standing at the end of the table, and Vijona assumed that they were simply waiting for the Princes to arrive. A full wine goblet suddenly appeared in her gloved hand, and she looked about for the retreating servant; however, in the mess of faces that waited behind her, she could not locate the one in particular. So, Vijona resorted to smiling and nodding in a general direction, and looked back at the All-Father who began to speak.

"I do not know what Lord Frey has told you. However, that appears to be of no consequence because it appears to me that you yourself do not quite know everything that is to transpire here as well."

Vijona shook her head. She was simply grateful that her Lord Frey had given her this opportunity, and saw fit to bring her family honor by being a potential bride for a Prince of Asgard.

Odin sighed, and took his wine goblet with one hand. He took one long drink, and then set the goblet back down on the table. "I am getting to be of the age where it would be prudent to have one of my sons take up ruling Asgard as the King." Odin held her gaze, "Do you wish to be Queen of Asgard?"

The Vanir woman blinked. It was a pregnant and offhand question. Of course the thought had crossed her mind. She would make her ancestors proud in Valhalla if she did become Queen of Asgard. "If that is what Lord Frey and you, All-Father, give me the honor of being then of course I would assume such a role. Only if I had your blessing. However, if it be prudent that I not marry the future King of Asgard, then I will not." Vijona explained. She was a woman without any family other than her brother, and she certainly was not getting any younger. Any match within the royal family of Asgard would be an advantageous one.

Odin let out a deep, yet short, laugh. "Lord Frey warned me of your practicality, most… modern from a woman. However, it is appreciated in this situation. Neither of my sons has yet to show me that they are indeed meant to be rulers of Asgard. Lord Frey has allowed you to stay within my home for the year, and at the end of this time I will procure a son that I deem you fit for marrying… Whether or not he will be King, I am uncertain. If my decision pleases Lord Frey, then the thing is done. A quick wedding will soon follow, and you will stay in Asgard for the rest of your days."

Some of the All-Father's word choice concerned Vijona. There were a lot of _ifs_ and _yets_ in his speech; more than she would like concerning her future. "And if Lord Frey determines the match to not be in his liking?"

"I am sure that he will find this match to be advantageous by all accounts. Lady Freya has refused to release any of her daughters to be wed, and would rather them become handmaidens of my Queen Frigga. As you can see, my wife and my house already have enough handmaidens and people bustling about without his sister's daughters. Since Lord Frey is otherwise out of higher-ranking ladies to offer my house, you are the hope of the Vanaheim people. Your family is pure in blood, well respected amongst your people, and your father has a reputation that goes far beyond his death. I am confident that in Valhalla he is smiling upon us all, along with your mother." The All-Father said with a severe reverence to Valhalla that Vijona immediately appreciated within him. The confidence in Odin's words lifted Vijona's spirits slightly, however she had no idea her situation was built upon such sand. This year could prove to be an interesting one yet for the Vanir.

* * *

Frigga thought that the Vanir woman took all this information seemingly in stride. Vijona had a less stable agreement than what Frigga had walked into all those years ago, and she felt compelled to ask, "Do you have any questions, Lady Vijona?"

The woman thought for a brief moment, the hood on her silver cloak obscuring the girl's eyes. "I do think I know where I stand in all this, and I accept it… Is there anything you, All-Mother, or the All-Father ask of me in return?"

Odin and Frigga shared a glance, knowing full well that eventually all the pomp and circumstance of this first meeting would fade in time. "Simply be yourself, child. Enjoy what Asgard has to offer, and spend time with our sons. They are each bright in their own way, and could potentially bring you the happiness I am sure you want by the end of this year." Frigga said confidently, "However, why not we start by relieving you of your cloak and gloves? It is certainly much warmer in this chamber than in all Asgard, I'm sure." Frigga had started to peer around, but already three servants came to Vijona's aid in releasing her from her silver cloak.

The servants then plucked the girl's soft leather gloves off her fingers, and immediately she became somewhat conscious of herself with people bustling about her. "This is not- I mean, I can help take them off. Please, allow me to-"

It was at this moment the wide entry doors opened once more, revealing another guard and her two sons seemingly not far behind. "Prince Thor, and Prince Loki have arrived!" Sure enough, Thor's broad build entered through the door, striding down the right side of the long banquet table towards the group. He was dressed in his looser armor for the evening, and Frigga was pleased that her son at least took the time in taming his mane of hair. Loki was, as always, put together in his own light armor. His black hair reached his shoulders just as cleanly as his brother's, and contrasted against the alabaster of his skin. The two brothers, although carrying themselves as if they belonged, stuck out against the room with their choice of colors against the golden splendor of the room. Thor's hair and the golden accents of Loki's armor appeared to be the only things that blended with the rest of the décor.

"I thought you said that the Lady Vijona arrived? I'm starving. Hopefully she does not keep us too much longer." Thor's voice echoed from halfway down the banquet table. Odin let out a deep sigh, and Frigga wanted nothing more than to pinch the bridge between her nose and scold her son as if he were as tall as her knee.

Odin cleared his throat, signaling his son to be silent. "You are late. Your mother had sent her servant long ago, what kept… No, it does not matter." Once they drew nearer, Odin began again. "My sons, this is Lady Vijona Erradóttir, under the protection of Lord Frey of Alfheim, and a daughter of Vanaheim. You will apologize for your rudeness Thor, and hopefully recover your dignity sometime tonight."

Frigga glanced sidelong at Odin. He may have laid on his words thick in publically scolding Thor, however the Queen felt that it was all in show for Vijona's sake. Thor blinked, and looked upon the Vanir lady. Indeed, her riding attire was much more casual in appearance than that of what the royal family was wearing. However, the girl had a beautiful and sun kissed face with eyes that only achieved in being bluer with all the golden light that caressed her feminine features. Vijona was tall in build, her dancer-like proportions hinting towards the hobby she was talked about most amongst nobility. Frigga did not think that her hips were as wide as they should be for child rearing; however, she was positive that in the way Thor was looking at the woman she had other… redeeming assets. Her hair was much more of a softer blonde compared to that of Thor's own golden locks, and was tied nicely in one long braid that ended at the small of her back. Truly, it was no wonder why Frigga's father, Lord Frey, had chosen Vijona to marry one of the Princes. The more one laid eyes upon the Vanir girl, the more taken by her long and elegant features one became.

Thor cleared his own throat, and bowed to the lady as he held out his hand. She took it, and he placed a kiss upon the back of it before looking up at her. "Lady Vijona, I apologize for my rudeness… I did not know the time." He simply stated, taking in her light brown riding pants and deep blue blouse, as if to reassure himself that he was not mistaken in the fact that she did not at present look the part of a lady.

Vijona, suddenly hyper aware that all eyes were upon her, took in a shaken breath and smiled lopsidedly upon the golden haired prince. "The apology is mine. I should have been more advantageous in my appearance, knowing the esteemed company I was keeping this night. It is wonderful to meet you."

Frigga looked upon her youngest son, Loki, and noticed that he had his eyes already on Vijona. Perhaps he had been looking at her the entire time, however Frigga could never be sure with her mischievous son. The raven-haired prince bowed slightly as well, holding out his hand to her. When she took it, he placed his own kiss upon the back of her hand, looking up at the Vanir with the whisper of a smile upon his lips. "Welcome to Asgard Lady Vijona. I am positive you will enjoy your time here from now on… If my poor brother does not turn you from our house screaming by the end of this night."

The Vanir woman gave the gentlest of smiles in response to the younger prince's humor, "I am confident that I will enjoy my stay here. I confess that Prince Thor is accurate in my lateness. I became absorbed in looking at the beautiful architecture of Asgard." She explained as the Prince let go of her hand, and he righted himself with ease to his frame.

Frigga had to compliment the girl in her conversation skills. Before, she was certain that her youngest son was the only one in Asgard with a silver tongue. Thor became very aware that the attention on his rudeness was long forgotten in the conversation, and beamed brightly at Vijona.

"Asgard is a wonderful city, and will only grow more upon you as time continues." Her older son said. "I am surprised that this is your first time to Asgard. Many a lady from Vanaheim has come through these halls."

Frigga cleared her throat ever so slightly, however the men in her family quickly took the action at great attention. "I am sure that Lady Vijona is well aware of the adventures the daughters of Lady Freya have had in Asgard." The All-Mother made the softest of gestures at the banquet table. "Come, let us dine before the food turns cold; the servants will pour us all wine shortly to combat the frigid air of the night."

With that, Odin took a grateful seat upon his mighty chair. Thor had the sense to pull out Lady Vijona's chair at the second seat from Odin's right, and Frigga swelled with pride as Loki pulled out his mother's own chair at Odin's left for her to sit upon. _At least they remembered something from my lessons_, she thought to herself as Loki sat to her left and Thor to Odin's right. The servants quickly came to the family's aid, pouring wine and serving sizable portions of roasted bird and steamed vegetables upon the metal plates. Though it was considered a 'light' meal in Asgard with the white bird meat, the size of the fowl along with the vegetables and fruit were far from quaint.

The All-Mother watched Lady Vijona take a polite sip from her wine goblet while Thor regaled to her of the battle stories with him and the Warriors Three. All the while, her other son Loki chimed in every so often to correct or prod fun at the elaborated imagery. Lady Vijona had laughed at one particular elaboration that Loki was so quick to point out, and the two seemed to share a look from across the table while Thor amended himself hurriedly. _There it is…_ Frigga thought to herself as she took a bite from a dainty forkful of meat. The Vanir continued to smile as Thor used big hand gestures, motioning how quickly he was able to hammer his foe into the ground.

Odin shook his head with a well-hidden smile behind his wine goblet; only Frigga knew that he was more pleased with smaller gatherings like this than in packed banquets. She watched her husband look upon her older son and Lady Vijona. The two looked shining next to each other, with the lady's white smile and Thor's boisterous laugh, perhaps they would be able to love each other easier.

She peered once more at Loki, whom was looking at the fair lady across from him. Once more, the Vanir and he shared another glance; however, it was swept away just as quickly as Odin began to talk war stories that he and Frigga's father Lord Frey had shared. Underneath the table, Frigga reached over and gave the forearm that Loki had positioned on the arm of his chair a reassuring squeeze.

Her youngest son let out a soft breath, his shoulders relaxing somewhat as he adjusted his seat to lean more in his mother's direction. His arm left her grasp and the hand that belonged to it went searching for his wine goblet. Frigga knew that Loki would never admit that his dear mother was a comfort to him, but she did not need the verbal announcement to feel like he loved her in his own way all the same… _And perhaps soon_, Frigga thought while fighting her own mischievous smile, _No, no…_ she decided, deeming it much too soon to place such ambitious thoughts upon her son._If the fates so deem it, let it be done._ She took another bite of the roasted bird, and swallowed it down with a helpful sip from her wine and smiled at the continued tales of battles and childhood adventures within Asgard. Their laughter echoed long into the night inside Odin's Banquet Hall, and gave a warm whisper into the chilled night air of Asgard, promising many more tales to come.

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**_Please give me feedback on what you thought either through reviews or private messages. If you are curious about the accuracy in how I am shaping the characters and where I pull some nit-picky details from, feel free to ask away and I'll answer to the best of my ability! I am new to the fanfiction community, so some helpful tips would also be greatly appreciated format-wise and stuff. Thanks for reading!_

**_Edit: _**_Made a few word swaps that I forgot to catch after the millionth time, and changed the rating._


	2. The Quiet Gardens

_A stone house endured on top of a lonely hill. Towering green grass tickled fingertips as feet cut a path to the blue door. A boy with golden hair held hands with a smaller girl, the hem of her pants was stained deeply with hues of spring. A soft melodic voice was heard through an open window, and grew louder as the boy pushed open the blue door. The wood groaned in lazy protest, and the wind stirred the girl's golden hair about her waist. The warm breeze caressed the youthful glow about her face, brushing the curls about her forehead and kissing her eyelashes. They stepped inside. _

Vijona's eyes fluttered open as wisps of hair tickled her nose. Stirring slowly, her sleeping arm flopped against her face to brush off the hair in vain. Calling to whatever feeling was returning to her limb, she managed to brush the hair past her chin before giving up entirely upon the mission. A sigh of defeat signaled her unwillingness to wake up thoroughly, and so she brought her arm across her face. The cleft of her inner elbow shielded herself from the world for a few more moments before a gentle breeze caressed her face, tickling the smaller strands of hair about her ears. It reminded Vijona of her dream from the night before, of a lonely house and small children; however, she let the thought slip away from her mind like all dreams do. After taking another deep breath, the Vanir girl dared prop herself up on her elbows to locate the infiltrating wind.

The room above the "Quiet Garden," as Queen Frigga had so called it, was immaculately exquisite. The room matched the metallic nature of the rest of the palace, while retaining a touch of the Vanir culture with the pearlescent ivory linens and drapes that accented the room. Proud flowers were carved into the corners of the room, and seemed to dance as sunlight touched the Asgardian designs across the trim of the room. Smiling at the splendor of the décor, she flopped back onto her pillows and giggled as her body bounced with the bed. It was made of the softer down, and it became blatantly apparent that Queen Frigga had spared no expense in making this room fit for a lady.

With almost painful resolution, Vijona decided that it would not suit her to spend all morning in bed. Slowly shimmying out of the nest that she had made within the sheets, her hair fell in a curtain of curls as she sat at the edge of the bed. Vijona's bed was indeed a nest, as the radius around her bed was elevated on a platform at least six steps above the rest of the room. Shivering as her toes touched the cool floor, her sleeping gown swept about her ankles as Vijona snagged the thickest of her bed blankets and looked about trying to locate the breeze that had pulled her from sleep. Shaking her head to cast away the rest of her sleepiness, she pulled the blanket tighter about her shoulders. Her bare feet padded down the steps, the smell of flowers becoming thicker in the air as she crossed the room and found the large balcony door open.

The metal door was left only slightly ajar, and Vijona barely remembered opening it a crack in the middle of the night before climbing back to bed. "Must have been warm last night…" She mumbled under her breath, and took a step out onto the balcony to observe the Quiet Garden that Queen Frigga had told her so much about.

The sun beamed brightly within these earliest awakenings of morning, casting the softest of light about the golden floor of the balcony. The carved railing was made of the same stone as the rest of the royal palace, and was wide enough at the top for Vijona to sit upon and bring the blanket about herself tightly. She shivered only once as her body heated up with the slow rising of the sun, the light dancing across everything green below. The Quiet Garden was a surprisingly large space, with only one set of stairs to come in and out of the garden on the southern end below Vijona. Goldenrod asgardian lilies grew in large clumps, swaying in the breeze and towering over the quiet yellow and blue mountain flowers. Juniper bushes lined the edges of the garden and combined with the red berry bushes, and they flourished with great intensity over the other blossoms and herbs that grew within the garden. Even after taking in the splendor of the garden, Vijona was truly taken by the colossal tree in the middle of the garden. The wood was of the deepest of colors, and almost turned red when the light of the sun hit it in this early hour of the morning. Leaves shimmered from dew that dripped from the green fingernails of the tree, and fell into the pool beneath it. The tree was large, higher than the walls that surrounded the garden yet smaller than the balcony. Even though the tree was large in size, there was still enough sunlight to hit everything else green in the garden blow.

There was something… off about the tree. The Vanir woman rubbed her eyes with her blanket as if to make sure there was no sleep left in the corners, and looked again. Yes, she was indeed looking right. The tree was growing like a teardrop a few feet from the ground up. The tree had a large hole two men high from the ground as if it were split in two; yet, defied the odds by continuing to exist and mended itself back together in a rather bulbous fashion. It almost reminded Vijona of an elongated radish; however, such a hole at the middle of its trunk defied all laws of reason. The tree should be dead, or at least toppled over by now.

Well, since the tree had made residence in the house of Odin All-Father… _Anything is possible_, the woman reasoned. Shaking her head in wonderment as she turned her legs away from her perch on the railing, she then wandered back inside to leave the garden and begin the rest of her morning.

A reassuring click sounded from the now closed balcony door behind her, and Vijona wandered back up to her raised bed and deposited the blanket. Idly running her fingers over the soft ivory linens she turned her head to survey her room once more. This "guest room" was of a much grander nature than her old room back in Alfheim. While the ivory pearlescent nature of the room and furniture was a familiar touch, her old furniture from home was well loved and patched at least a few times. With the money that her parents had left her, Vijona thought that it would be imprudent to spend it all on the latest furniture fashions like the other women in her culture. The Vanir were a wealthy people, dealing plenty in luxurious goods and hosted exotic fertility festivals that haunted the dreams of men for centuries. Money flowed through her people like blood, and Vijona hated it.

Money meant that she would be left to reap the large monetary legacy of her parents, and must fulfill her duty to expand her family's wealth much more. Money meant that she must attend the exasperating parties, appear interested in the gossip of "higher life," make friends of two faced she-devils and be paraded to their sons like a fattened calf. It meant that when she danced, she must do so in a way to inspire lust towards her womanly nature, but not in a way that seems promiscuous. She must speak in a way to make men listen, but stay silent enough to not be heard. She must be beautiful always. She must make looking beautiful seem easy. She must want to bear children. She must-

A sharp pain came from her hand, and she muttered low to herself as she looked down at her open palm to see little half-moon indents. Her fingernails had left their painful reminders that Vijona was in fact clenching her hand too tightly. The Vanir woman sighed, and rubbed the skin as she padded down the steps from her bed and made her way to the bathing chamber.

_A little bath would do wonders for my mood_, Vijona thought. Catching a glimpse of herself in a mirror, she paused, almost not recognizing herself. Her hands went to her loose hair, pulling the blonde tresses to the front of her body and watched as the length just barely touched her belly button over her nightgown. She did not feel like a fattened calf.

Not here.

Here she felt like the people were trying to meet her halfway. She felt… as if Queen Frigga was as gentle as she could be in her station, and still encourage her to marry one of the Princes of Asgard.

Vijona sighed once more, and made her way to the bathing chambers. Unfortunately, she had been born a woman, and concluded that in order to win over her suitors she must attend breakfast with the royal family at this unholy hour of the morning. Looking across the grandeur of the golden bathroom, a large bathing pool sat at the far end of the room. A sizable tray of bottles and urns of oils and perfumes stood close by with a large drying linen, and judging by the lack of steam rolling off the water… it was freezing. Pursing her mouth in sound resolution, she said "Well… best hurry about it then Vijona. No time to dawdle or call servants… They'll only slow you down." Her voice echoed with failing heart, and she then quickly stripped herself of her nightgown; preparing to be submerged in the frigid waters before her.

* * *

Loki was at best unhappy. Not only had he assumed that the Vanir woman would be lazy, he also assumed that she would not appear at breakfast this morning. He was of course wrong on both accounts. Instead of making his move upon her, he had enjoyed his own lazy morning with a private breakfast in his room and the company of an old tome. While he was smiling to himself over his hot herbal water earlier in the morning, he now scowled to himself at his stupidity. The edge of his cloak danced about his heels fervently as he made his way through the halls to the guest room above the Quiet Garden, his hands clenching and unclenching with each passing moment.

He was not angry, oh no, he was deeply irritated. Irritated at the fact that he had misjudged the woman, after he thought he had pegged her so clearly at dinner. She was a Vanir woman, of colorful taste and rich in conversation like so many of the women he met before her. She was brought up in the care of Lady Freya, which would have no doubt made her as lazy and pointedly fickle like the daughters that she had grown up next to. Learning from the company of high society people must have made her thirst for higher status, but not think of the effort into climbing such a ladder. Effort was for lower women.

Loki had deeply misjudged her. She appeared to be much more advantageous than her female peers. She attended the breakfast, even without both Princes to keep her company. Thinking of the lecture that both Thor and himself would receive from their mother about absences from meals made him release a heavy audible sigh. If Loki could apologize to the Vanir about his absence before Thor, then it might just sway his mother's wrath towards his elder brother.

After Vijona had retired for the night, Loki's father had looked to both of his sons and explained the current situation of her staying for the year. The All-Father wanted Vijona to have the best experience within his halls, and was relying upon his sons to ensure that she would indeed stay for the rest of their lives and not "run away screaming," as Loki had so put it earlier in the evening. Odin would decide the future King of Asgard, and she would be the wife of one of them at the end of the year. Simple as that.

Loki paused from his quick pace in step, and took a moment to look around at the bustle of servants going about their various duties within the palace. All were preparing for tomorrow night's welcoming feast for Lady Vijona Erradóttir. Vijona, the daughter of the Vanir people. Vijona, the renowned dancer from Vanaheim. Vijona, possibly his future wife.

He could have met his wife for the first time last night.

The Prince shook his head and continued his walk towards the farther end of the palace, watching as servants sidestepped with haste to clear a path for his royal footsteps. Soon enough the business began to fade, and the sounds from the halls almost seemed to fade off into the distance.

The Quiet Garden was quiet for a reason, as it appeared that all outside noise did not exist on this end of the palace. The loud grunts and shouts from the training courtyard could not even penetrate the air about the place, and during the course of his life he appreciated this garden more than almost any other place within the palace. It was much too quiet for Thor's adult appreciation of battle; however, his distaste of it was encouraged by the childhood banishment instilled by his mother. A smirk appeared on Loki's lips at the memory, but it was gone just as quick when he suddenly found himself standing in front of the large door of Vijona's room. He rapped his knuckles upon the wood three times and stood waiting, his arms folded neatly behind his back.

The door opened, and he met the blue gaze of a small mouse of a servant, one that he recognized as one of his mother's handmaidens. She quickly curtsied after opening the door, her head bowing deeply. Her cropped hair hung about her face as she asked, "Prince Loki, what can I assist you with?"

"Is my mother here?"

"No my Prince."

Loki's eyebrow arched, "Then what are you doing in Lady Vijona's chambers, Gna? You may stand."

The little woman stood upright with perfect posture, as all trained handmaidens should have. "The All-Mother instructed me to serve Lady Vijona, and train new handmaidens for the Lady so they may better serve her in the future. This morning, Lady Vijona has given me opportunity to train a few maids about proper cleaning of chambers and placement of furniture and decorations." She bowed softly and backed into the door, pushing it open further so the Prince could see the other two maids bustling around the chamber.

Satisfied that she was indeed true to her word, Loki nodded. "Very well. Where is Lady Vijona then, if not in her chamber?"

"The lady has taken to the Quiet Garden, Prince Loki, looking for inspiration that she can use in her dance tomorrow night."

His eyebrow arched higher. _This should prove to be interesting_. "Did she request for privacy?"

The handmaiden shook her head. "No, my Prince."

"Thank-you, Gna, you may go about your task." With that, he turned on his heel and made his way further down the corridor where a lonely arch stood almost forgotten in the dead end of the hallway. He made his way through the arch and down the stone steps, his path illuminated by balls of light that had been stuck to the sides of the golden walls. Just when he wondered if the stairs were ever going to end, they in fact did, and he was spat out into high noon sunlight. He squinted and brought his hand up to shield the light from his adjusting eyes, and continued walking across the veranda until his feet stopped at the railing.

Looking down at the Quiet Garden, he saw three standing handmaidens, all at attention with their hands folded in front of their skirts. Each appeared fixated upon whom he guessed as Lady Vijona in the middle of the grassy yard. Indeed, the woman's actions made the Prince look twice upon her. She stood with one foot planted firmly in the grass while her arms were over her head holding her other foot for balance. The woman wore loose clothing, a blue linen tunic and trousers that appeared to be… closely fitted to a pair of shapely legs and made from flexible fabric. What fabric it was, Loki could not say; however, could not process the image any further as the handmaidens soon noticed his presence and bowed low to him.

The woman did not pay any mind, or chose to not notice and continued about holding her pose. _This must be the dancer within Vijona, _he thought as turned and walked to his left down the stone steps and into the garden. The flowers and plants were in high bloom this time of year, and he breathed deeply of their perfume as he made his way towards the woman. From afar, she looked captivating with her pose and her hair blowing about her like leaves on a tree. Closer, she was much more beautiful as her dedication showed about her face, her eyes closed in quiet concentration. Loki put on his winning smile, suddenly appreciating his quiet arrival into the garden. Anticipating her sure to be startled face, he said quietly, "Lady Vijona."

* * *

If Vijona could freeze, she would have. However, considering she was already holding her rather… awkward pose, she thought there was simply nothing more she could do than breathe the words, "Prince Loki," and relieve her legs from their vertical split. Once again, she was dressed like a man in front of the Prince, and she mentally kicked herself as she bowed to the raven-haired man.

"Enjoying the gardens Lady Vijona? I hope that they are an inspiration for all matters of festival preparation." He said with a sly smirk. When she stood, he took her offered hand and bowed in return before kissing it.

Doing her best to fight off the blush that started to creep up her neck, she cleared her throat and gathered as much of her ladylike dignity as she possibly could. Retracting her hand, she simply said. "It is a beautiful garden, and I thought that this would be the… quietest place to practice a new dance."

The Prince strolled about, idly turning his attention the pool with his arms folded behind his back. "You are quite right, it is the most silent place within the palace... I am sure that my mother told you about the memories within this place."

Vijona followed the Prince towards the pool at the foot of the giant tree, and the Vanir watched his face as she spoke. "She told me a little; however, quickly grew upset when she talked about Thor and yourself as boys within this garden, then changed the subject."

A genuine smile graced the Prince's lips, and the corners of his eyes crinkled as he remembered the tale. "I am sure she did; she does hate that story." He made a sweeping gesture at the tree, "The last time Thor was within the garden he damaged this tree, and was then banned by my mother from ever coming here again."

Vijona arched an eyebrow. "He created the hole as a child?" She asked while pointing at the obvious, then immediately passed Loki around the edge of the pool towards it to get a better look.

Loki followed her, inhaling her rosewater scent as she passed him. "Yes. Thor would frequently take Mijolnir and practice within these walls when we were children. One such time, he called forth a bolt of lightning and struck this tree." It became harder to walk around the pool as the roots of the tree blocked her path, and she had to settle with being a few feet away. "Mother was of course furious, and as I said banned Thor from ever stepping foot in this space again. She did her best to put life back into this tree, but even the best of her magic could not heal the gaping evidence. She never did enjoy the tree as much after that incident…" He trailed off, reaching a hand to his neck and rubbing it thoughtfully.

"I think it gives the tree… character."

She had caught the Prince's attention once more, and he looked at her with his eyebrow raised. "Character?"

"Yes, as if it has a story to tell and the years ahead to tell all of it."

Loki appeared to like that answer, and looked up at the tree once more before saying with a devilish look about his face. "Thor and I used to climb this for hours… Let us see if you and I can give it a go?"

* * *

He so relished the look on her face. He might as well have asked her if she had a second head beneath that loose tunic of hers. "Climb this tree? With you?"

Loki's smirk only grew wider as he nodded, "Whom else would you climb it with? Unless you would prefer to not at all try…"

There was a challenge to his tone. Loki wanted to pinpoint just how much of a 'lady' this Vanir was. He could sense that she had wanted to explore the tree all along, and waited to see her face have an inner debate for a few moments.

Surprisingly, there was no debate. As soon as the words left his mouth, the Vanir woman leapt from the large root that was closest to her and planted a strong foot on the lip of the hole on the tree. She then lunged upwards, her hands quickly catching the nearest branch and hoisted herself upon it. Straddling the branch between her legs, she looked down at Loki with her own amused smirk. "Waiting on the grass to get greener, my Prince?"

A laugh shook his frame with delight, as he was correct in guessing her nature. "I did not realize you were the adventurous type… Especially in front of handmaidens that can talk freely about your actions."

Vijona only regarded them for a moment. "I do not believe that anyone would think that 'Lady Vijona' would be climbing a tree in the company of the Prince of Asgard." With a smile that curled only the corner of her mouth, she shrugged. "If climbing a tree is the worst gossip I stir in Asgard, then I would consider myself a lucky woman."

Loki shook his head, and only made a move towards the enlarged roots at the base of the tree. He placed one foot upon the bark, and rested an elbow upon the propped leg as he looked up at her. She was easily ten men high on her branch, her feet swinging lightly as she looked down at him. "With these maids, you will have an easy time taking advantage of their newness towards their position… Their hair looks to have only been cropped yesterday."

In Asgard, servants kept their hair short so it would not interfere with their duties or draw attention to them. Women's hair was kept short behind the ear and men's hair was cut extremely close to the scalp. It was a sign of their dedication to service, and to not mistake them with a higher-ranking member of the palace. Vijona did not seem to mind at the newness of her handmaidens. "At least they will be learning the palace walls with me… And if we all get lost, then perhaps we have a greater chance of getting noticed as a herd than just myself." She joked, still not making a move from her branch. "Other than to distract me from practicing my dance for tomorrow night's feast and trick me into climbing trees, which I have not done in at least a millennia I might add, did you have some grander purpose for visiting me?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, playing the part of a chagrined Prince. "I actually came here to apologize for not being present at breakfast this morning. It was rude of me to not attend."

With the softest of chuckles emanating from her lips, she tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear. His act may have not been believed. "Am I hearing the Queen speaking through you, or is your heart truly grieved at such a loss?"

"Perhaps I may have the foresight to know what my mother wishes before she asks me; however, you are proving to be an… interesting woman to hold conversations with, and I can tell that I indeed lost an opportunity at knowing you more at the table."

"I can safely assume that when you say 'interesting,' you truly mean strange and curious." She said with the slightest of laughs, moving to stand upon her branch with careful grace.

"No, no. I meant interesting… I challenged you to climb this tree with me, remember? Though you are proving to be a greater person of honor than I in that regard." He chuckled to himself as he moved to stand upon the root, watching her as she delicately paced upon the tree branch. He watched her as her arms were outstretched from her sides, keeping perfect balance. "I do sense that while you have a strong consideration of propriety, you were not raised off the… for lack of a better word, bosom, of riches. Despite what being in Lady Freya's house has done for you in society."

The corner of her mouth curled, and she gave a relenting nod as she pivoted to walk back towards the base of her branch. "Yes, you would be right on that… The Queen did warn me this morning that you were the one who could read people best." A sigh escaped her lips before she pressed on. "My childhood consisted of living in the countryside for my mother's health. While we were indeed rich, it is not wise to go about owning glamorous possessions in the country. It brings the wrong attention to a family without the walls of a city to promise safety." Vijona, upon placing her hand on the tree, turned back around and tip toed towards the end of the branch. "My brother was my sole companion for… everything. And I was his. Everything my brother did, I did as well… Which included climbing trees."

Loki watched her movements across the tree branch as she spoke. Her feet were nimble and knowing, understanding the placement of her weight in proportion to the branch. Just when Loki thought that the wood would break beneath her, she deftly turned and walked back towards the safe thickness of the branch. It made him anxious, watching her so high above his head; however, it appeared that she spoke true when she said that she spent her childhood amongst nature.

"It would seem that you know better of being a boy than most boys themselves." Loki said, and then pressed on, looking forward to her next reaction. "A lady would have gotten down much earlier in this conversation. You seem as if you would much rather be up there than down here facing myself."

A satisfying blush crept upon her face, and she stood for a moment calculating how to best come down. "This is familiar to me…" Realizing that she may have insulted the Prince, she quickly added, "A forest does not know the roles of gender. Woman or not, you climb the branches and appreciate the world around you. If you cannot hold yourself, you fall and die."

"Or break a limb." Loki quipped, "Unless you have someone to catch you."

Raising an eyebrow, Vijona looked down upon Loki. Her blonde hair blew behind her like a banner, her arms were raised high above her head as she clutched onto the hanging branch above her. With confidence, she arched forward like a flower bent by a breeze. "Are you offering to catch me, Prince Loki?" She asked with a coquettish smile, and did not bother to wait for a response from him as she straightened before letting go of the branch and crouched low to her feet. Her hands went to the limb beneath her toes, and gripped tightly as she allowed herself to drop, using her grip on the branch to catch herself and hang for a moment before propelling herself forward to land a few feet behind Loki.

Moving from his position on a root of the tree, he too set foot onto the ground of the garden, and bowed low to Vijona. "It would appear, my lady, that you do not need anyone to catch you at all."

Vijona gave Loki an equal bow of her head, her handmaidens bowing to the Prince as well, and without another word he then turned on the heel of his boot and walked away from her and the garden.

She was an enigma. She did not care what he thought of her, yet cared enough of appearance to climb down from her perch on that tree when he pointed it out. She was bold, he saw that clearly enough. She rose quickly to a challenge, and stayed there long enough to make her point. This was the second time he saw her dressed like a man, and yet she did not utter an apology about it.

She spoke with high regard of her brother, spoke nothing of her father, and a soft recognition of her mother. If Loki was a smart man, and he was, he would befriend her brother when he appeared at the welcoming celebration tomorrow night in order to befriend the Vanir woman in turn.

As Loki climbed the stairs, he smiled to himself in a devilish way. Whether or not the Vanir woman, the King, or Queen wanted to admit, Vijona was the key to gaining the throne of Asgard. And, after the shining success that today had proved to be, Loki was well on his way to sitting as the future King.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**__ Well here we are, Chapter Two! Please review or message me with questions or concerns about character development or anything like that. A lot of Loki this time around, and I am hoping that I am capturing him to the best of my ability as his personality would call for at least a hundred or so years before pre-THOR(2011). _

_As always, thank-you for reading!_


	3. Truth in Reunion

Loki watched as Lady Vijona paced about the floors of the White Room. The soft gold color of her skirts danced in the light about her ankles, making her movement appear to be liquid gold. She had been repeating the same actions for a while now; her electric blue eyes going to the door every so often, then she would shake her head. After coming to some internal conclusion repeatedly, she would resume her march across the middle of the room while her single long braid swished behind her like a feline's tail. She was the only one standing, as the rest of the royal family was sitting on scattered furniture about the ivory chamber.

The White Room was seldom in use, as Queen Frigga preferred to receive guests in Odin's Hall. With the welcoming festival being only a few hours away, Queen Frigga decided it would be prudent to allow the servants to finish preparations while the family greeted Lord Frey and Lord Audven. So there they all were, the King and Queen in high backed chairs conversing quietly in a corner while Thor and Loki sat on stools next to the large window overlooking Asgard.

"Why have we never used this room, Loki? I never even knew we had it." Thor admitted, his curious eyes looking around at the elaborately furnished room.

Loki took a moment to look as well, scanning the battle scenes etched in the metal on the walls and the celestial orbs of light floating about the ceiling. Everything within the room was white: the wood, the fur rugs, tapestries, and even the curtains, as was directed by the title of the room. Instead of looking celestial and bright, the total absence of color made the walls blend obnoxiously into the floor. Usually Queen Frigga's taste was impeccable; yet, in her earlier years as queen she must have decorated this monstrosity, and had forgotten to come back later and refurnish it. After pursing his lips in thought, Loki said quietly, "It could conceivably be one of the most garish rooms our mother has ever designed."

Thor let out a laugh, immediately disturbing the silence in the air that the brothers had forgotten about. Vijona paused from her pacing, the King and Queen stopped conversing, and all looked at the brothers for a moment before resuming their previous actions. The Vanir held eye contact with Loki for a moment, and he could see _something _within her gaze. What it was, he could not put a finger on, but she looked away and continued pacing before he had a chance to guess.

Looking at his brother Loki asked, "Did you apologize to Lady Vijona for your absence from breakfast yesterday?"

Thor rolled his eyes, clapping his younger brother on the back before resting his elbows on his knees. "Yes, _mother_, I did. I apologized after this day's breakfast, and took Lady Vijona about the city." The golden giant said with a bright smile on his face. He looked towards the woman, taking in her lithe form in the tight fitting dress she wore. "I believe she enjoyed herself."

Loki nodded and appeared as if he had no idea that Thor had taken Vijona out for the afternoon; but of course the younger prince knew. He had been waiting for a moment to extract information from Thor for some time now; for when Vijona returned to the palace, she would not receive any company due to her own personal preparations for the festival. Loki was at a loss in guessing at how their outing went.

"Where did you take her?"

Thor beamed while crossing his arms over his chest, a smug look upon his face. "The important places! We went to the blacksmith, the tannery, the Huntsman Tavern, the bakery we went to as children… Oh you know brother, all our places."

_Our places_. What did that even mean? Loki could not fathom, it certainly was not specific enough for his liking. Sure, he recalled the places they went to as boys, but he craved details. Thor took Lady Vijona out in order to please Queen Frigga, and had no idea that he may very well be ahead of Loki in the competition for the Vanir's affections; and Loki hated losing.

This was the grandest game of all, with the highest stakes. Loki wished his brother no ill will, for both brothers knew that Loki was best suited to rule as king. They had made a deal as boys: Loki would be king, ruling Asgard with a just hand like Odin; and Thor would lead all the battles that Asgard was sure to have, bringing glory to Odin and their ancestors.

It's all they ever wanted.

Once Lady Vijona accepted Loki's hand in marriage, he would finally have solid proof to his father that he could best continue the family line, and be a better fit to rule. Loki looked once more at the Vanir woman, who was still pacing back and forth across the bone colored floor. She would make for a beautiful prize at the end of this game.

Just when Loki was about to comment on something to his brother, the doors opened to the White Room. There stood a guard, his posture straight and at attention in his ceremonial armor. "Lord Frey of Alfheim, and Lord Audven of Vanaheim are waiting for entry!"

"Send them in!" Odin boomed from his seat, struggling with his aging bones in regal light armor before standing up. Lady Vijona stopped where she was in the center of the room, her hands clenched tightly in front of her chest as she watched the guard move from the door. Thor and Loki came to stand behind her, with King Odin and Queen Frigga in front of the group entirely.

The Vanir's bare shoulders seemed to shake as two guards filed into the room, and Loki stiffened as Thor's hand reached out to touch her shoulder. The raven-haired prince watched in horror as Thor's hand grew closer, yet halted suddenly as the immensity of Lord Frey came through the doorway. As Lord Frey walked, another figure strode beside him, earing a sharp inhale from Lady Vijona. She locked eyes with the man, her eyes brimming with tears as a slight smile curled her mouth.

Lord Frey, Loki's maternal grandfather, looked to be as old as Odin with all the white in his beard to show it. There were tinges of blonde to his hair, but it was overpowered by the ivory powder of time. He wore his royal light armor, as the King did, except he did not wear the Asgardian red like the All-Father and All-Mother. His tunic was much more garish, accented heavily in golden embroidery and dyed a deep purple. His beard was braided, tied by golden rings that bounced against his chest as he strode towards the family. He was a well-built man, the years of drinking wine and seasoned meats did not plump his older physique.

"All-Father," He said with a wonderful smile upon his face, walking towards Odin and bowing deeply. "It has been too long."

"Lord Frey, it is an honor having you in my court." Odin's deep voice said with a large smile on his own face as Lord Frey straightened. The men extended their hands, each clasping the other by the forearm in firm acknowledgement.

Frey then looked upon his daughter, Queen Frigga, and softened greatly. "Daughter." He went to her, kissing her upon the cheek. A beautiful smile graced her mouth, holding her father's hands tightly and looking into the man's blue eyes.

"It is so good to see you again father." She said softly, and then gestured towards her sons. "Thor and Loki have grown plenty since the last time you have seen them."

The last time Loki had perhaps witnessed this man was at his name-giving, so the prince had no recollection of ever meeting his grandfather. Thor apparently showed no special love towards the man either as Lord Frey surveyed them mildly, taking their forearms in turn. "They certainly have grown. I am told that is what happens when you feed boys!" He said with a laugh, and then turned his attention to the smaller Vanir woman next to the Princes.

Her eyes were solely upon Lord Audven, whom had remained at the spot in the middle of the room where Lord Frey had branched off to greet the royal family. Vijona's brother looked every inch the part of her kin, Loki thought. He had her strong jawline, high cheekbones, and blonde hair that matched the color of hers. His locks fell upon his shoulders like the ripples in a stream, and accented the pure golden light armor he wore that gleamed brightly in the ivory room. Audven was a… golden sight to behold, and Loki had a feeling that this Vanir man had just as much luck with women that Thor could have if he were not so wrapped up in the Lady Sif.

Lord Frey looked between the two Vanir siblings, and let out another boisterous laugh. "Well go on! No use standing about with your mouths slackened." Without any other provocation, Lord Audven rushed his sister and threw his arms about her, pulling her away from the gathering and swinging her about the room.

Lord Audven's laugh lit up the air about the group, and kissed his sister on the cheek as he set her down. To everyone's surprise, Vijona burst into tears, and clutched onto her brother tightly as sobs wracked her entire body. With a guilty look on his face, the Vanir lord looked up at the royal group and smiled while she clung to him. "Apparently someone missed me! I suppose that is what a being fifty or so years apart will-"

"Fifty!" Vijona croaked, punching her brother harshly on his chestplate. "It has been one hundred years at least!" She choked out, smacking his chest again which earned her a cry of protest from her brother, and then turned her agony upon Lord Frey. "What happened to bringing him home? Where was the communication? Hm? What happened-"

Lord Frey's patience had ended with the woman's tears. "That's enough." The Vanir woman quickly fell silent. "Audven, make your introductions please." Lord Audven left his sister, becoming all smiles while Lady Vijona remained in her spot, wiping her eyes and composing herself. The Vanir lord went to the All-Father and All-Mother, bowing deeply to them from the waist like a proper warrior.

It was here where Loki decided his attention wasn't needed. His green gaze was fixated upon the woman abandoned to the side, alone to dry the tears that she had no doubt been crying for decades. Those gifted with long life like the Aesir, Vanir, and Light Elves seldom felt time go by, as decades could pass in a blink of an eye; yet, for someone without family those years may feel to go on eons longer than actuality. From what Loki understood of Vijona's past that he had heard from his mother, both parents were dead at a young age and then she was split from her brother. Perhaps as a child she saw him with some frequency, but it was apparent that now she would be lucky for a glimpse here or there.

Suddenly in front of Thor and Loki, Audven bowed deeply. "Princes," Looking up at them with his ocean blue eyes blazing, he said, "I thank the both of you for making sure that my sweet sister's life thrives while I am away. My only hope is that she continues to enjoy Asgard, and look a year from now as stunning as she looks this wonderful evening." It was only a mild comment, one that inspired a brotherly protection of his sister; however, Lord Frey was quick to laugh at it and diffuse any kind of possible hostility that could have been veiled behind those words. Though as Lord Audven stood, the smile that appeared permanent upon his face would have won over any crowd, and Lady Vijona was quick to join the group upon his standing.

Almost hesitantly, she bowed her head to Lord Frey quietly before leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He kissed hers in return and took her chin in his massive hands. "You look so very much like your mother…" He said softly, letting out a reminiscent sigh before releasing her. "Now I do believe that there is a mug of mead somewhere calling to me, when does the festival begin?"

The All-Mother laughed, and took her father's arm as the All-Father lead the way for Lord Frey. Lady Vijona's brother offered his arm to his sister, which she readily took, and they followed the elders. As Loki and Thor picked up the rear of the group, it gave the raven-haired prince an opportunity to assess the Vanir siblings.

Lady Vijona clung to her brother like moss to a tree, speaking to him urgently and quietly, and he spoke just as rapidly to her in return. Loki watched the ages of their relationship be displayed before him like a book: he saw how her brother wished to dote upon her more and how she wished to only see his face regularly. Loki saw the wear of battle in the Lord's shoulders; yet, keep a fantastic façade in front of his sister and others. He saw the way she smiled at her brother, with true adoration in her eyes and an alertness to anyone that might snatch him away.

"I do hope you perfected your art of dance, Vijona." Lord Frey called behind him, piquing Loki's interest, "The Witch Ormhildra will be here tonight as well to witness your performance." Loki raised his eyebrows, a völva within Asgard? _Tonight may just prove to be that much more interesting_.

* * *

The feast started after a concise speech from Odin All-Father, and Audven praised the gods above and below that the King did not use excessive language in speech making like Lord Frey. Odin's Hall was grand in decoration and presentation, with Aesir and Vanir colors flying in harmony about the chamber. The famed banquet table of Odin's Hall was substituted for multiple slimmer tables: two positioned on the east and west sides of the hall, and the All-Father's table positioned in the north. The tables were stuffed with plates piled high with the first course of food, while wine and mead flowed from pitchers like water. Laughter hung thick in the air as bards played quietly in the background, adding to the jubilant atmosphere. In the middle of all these tables was a wide expanse of floor in which a large pool of water sat like a mirror, reflecting the golden ceiling above. The water met the floor without any lip to contain it, and the liquid did not move whenever fists pounded on the tables or heavy feet shuffled about the room. It was a Vanir touch to the room, and it suited its purpose nicely.

Seated at Odin's table, Audven had a splendid view of a brunette Aesir woman that was seated with the Warriors Three at the adjacent table to his left. Her raven black hair and beautifully carved features were subdued by the amount of armor she wore to mask her femininity; yet, Audven could see through all that and flashed her a heart melting smile when she finally looked his way. His grin only became wider when she blushed deeply and buried herself furiously into the conversation with her male counterparts.

He glanced about while taking a sip from his wine, blessing his fortune that he was seated on the relaxed side of the table. Odin sat in the middle of course, with Lord Frey to his right and Queen Frigga on his left. Prince Loki sat next to his mother, then Audven, and an empty seat to the warrior's left indicated that his sister would sit next to him. Prince Thor had been brave enough to sit between his grandfather and the völva Ormhildra, which was a feat in itself.

Audven knew enough of the völur to understand that they were women that had no qualms in killing any man without worry of rank. These witches were a force to be reckoned with, and can bless or curse a house if the visiting witch felt she was not being respected enough. One such respect would be to give up the highest seat at the table to the visiting völva. Prince Thor apparently knew nothing of the culture, and had sat down before even offering. Thankfully, the woman appeared to not take offense, and settled to simply have the honor of being at Odin's table. For this action Audven was immensely grateful; a legion of fire demons seemed more appealing than going toe to toe with a witch.

This völva in particular appeared to be extremely powerful. He was sure she must have been centuries old; for the more beautiful a witch looked, the more twisted by time she was sure to truly be. Every inch of Ormhildra was white: her skin, her hair, her eyebrows, her fingernails, her teeth, and even her eyelashes. It was as if someone had stolen the pigment from her in the middle of the night. The only color to her was the inside of her mouth, and the faint strokes of red inside the grey color of her eyes. Her hair was locked together in seemingly millions of woven strands, her hair appearing to have turned into pieces of rope that ended just below the curvature of her rear. Her clothes were rich in style, as she opted to wear a dress with a lot of cloth. The collar reached the top of her throat, covered her wrists, and completely trailed out about her feet. This cover was deceiving, as the fabric was extremely tight and the color a sheer pearlescent. It exposed _every_ intimate detail of her body. On top of all this, she wore unique trinkets about her fingers, wrists, ankles, and neck that jingled when she moved. It created a jolly air that was put out once someone laid eyes upon the owner of the noise. What disturbed Audven most was the fact that he could not find her wand.

Every witch carried her wand on her person, and even held it in her grave. The wooden artifact was simply was not on her person; after all, where could she hide the thing when every inch of her body appeared to be exposed? Thinking of places where she could stuff it only made Audven cringe, and he went about burying his thoughts with another glass full of wine.

"Where is Lady Vijona?"

The smooth voice of Prince Loki pulled Audven's attention away from his wine goblet, "Hm? Oh, preparing to dance soon I imagine. It is always custom in Vanaheim to begin a festival with the best dancer before other dancing is to take place; it shows respect towards those that hone the art." Before he could even flag down a servant, someone had refilled his wine glass already. The All-Father certainly had his servants well trained.

"Is it not unbecoming of a future bride of Asgard to behave in such a way, and leave the main dance to another woman that would not be… looked upon with such light?" The prince asked, and Audven gave a laugh.

"Is my sister not beautiful?"

Loki raised his eyebrows, "I never meant-"

Audven gave a lazy gesture of his hands, and then moved to take another drink from his goblet. "I understand what you meant, Prince Loki. Being a future bride of Asgard, it would possibly be looked down upon for her to dance in such a way as to inspire other men's attention." The Vanir looked at Loki squarely in the eye, "Dance is a praise towards the ancestors. It blesses the future with fertility and tells stories of the past. My sister, being a woman, is not listened to. So, she is best heard without saying anything at all, and she will force you to remember what she has to say through dance." He thought for a moment, and then gave a shrug, "I have no doubt that tonight she means to inspire sensual thoughts."

His blunt words caught Loki off guard; a feat that Audven felt was seldom with this prince. "I beg your pardon?"

"If I were a woman, looking like my sister, I would do my best at trying to erase all other women from yours, and your brother's, memory. I would imagine that it would solidify her position, and make herself thought of in the aching loneliness of night, would it not?" Audven asked with a sly grin. He himself had never watched his sister dance, only caught glimpses here and there. Usually he found the ceiling or his wine to suddenly catch his interest while she performed in fertility festivals. He did not feel it decent to watch her perform, and she knew this upon decades of asking his review on her movements with no fruition. So, he resorted to catching a few moves here and there, enough to satisfy his sister and give an accurate critique on her foot placement, hand awareness, and ankle strength.

Audven watched Loki fall silent a moment, the prince appearing to be lost in his own thoughts as he took long sips from his wine goblet. The man was much thinner than his brother; yet, still carried the tone of muscle about his frame and the straight back of a seasoned warrior. He was paler than the average Aesir, with dark hair and green eyes that stood out against the ferocity of his cheekbones. Loki's hair reached his shoulders, grazing the fine cloth of the prince's royal attire of gold and green. He was not completely unpleasant to speak with; however, certainly appeared to carry airs and entitlement that Audven was not quite sure was deserved.

"What do you think of my sister?"

Seemingly surprised that Audven had chosen to continue to talk to the prince, Loki answered simply. "She is an interesting woman, and has a… great adventurous heart."

Audven raised an eyebrow, "Do you find her plain in personality?"

"No! Not at all." The prince lied. That much Audven could tell. "I am simply conflicted at her character."

"How do you mean?"

Loki appeared to be relaxed, though the Vanir sensed the slightest shift of weight, a sign of uneasiness. "I do not understand how she can profess to be both of Alfheim, and a daughter of Vanaheim."

The golden haired lord laughed, "Is that all? I have heard you are an intelligent man, Prince Loki. Surely you have your assumptions."

Loki flashed a humble serpentine smile. "I have made plenty an error the past few days with my assumptions. I would rather hear it from a… source."

After taking another long drink from his wine, he placed the empty goblet back down on the table. "Well, it is a simple enough answer-"

It was at that moment the torches dimmed, and a hush fell over the tables as the air shifted in the room. The bards that had been playing background music during the eating and drinking had fallen quiet as well. The lyre players slowly played long and drawn out luxurious notes; and as the grand sound continued, the water in-between the tables shifted. The once dark blue hue of the pool had changed to pure gold, and began to stir ever so softly. As if the water was a sheet, something began to take form beneath the surface and move south, shifting the entire pool with it. As the figure grew taller, the music grew louder, and the playing only became more furious until the water exploded into the air like a beacon.

Shimmering golden steam fell gently into the now wide expanse between the tables, the torches brightening softly in the chamber as the dust settled about the room. Vijona slowly came into focus, and stood where the pool had once been. She was covered head to toe in gold, her garment shimmering as the torchlight touched her features.

As the drums began, Vijona made slow and purposeful movements with her hips, the bells attached to her skirts ringing softly with each time her body turned. The lyre and harp began to lead the music, and Vijona elegantly moved about the room as coy as an open flame. Layers upon layers of skirts twirled about her as she leapt across the floor, the fabric picking up in the air and exposing her bare legs. She was truly a vision of beauty.

Audven took another sip of wine, deciding to glance around and watch the crowd watch his sister dance. The eyes from the scattered Vanaheim nobility that Lord Frey had brought with him were much more accustomed to this kind of dance, for they appeared to be less amazed and more appreciative of what his sister was praising with her movements. The Asgardian people were much more stunned; some of the younger men's mouths were agape, not knowing what else to do.

Vijona wore little on her upper torso, her entire stomach exposed in the warm glow of the chamber. A firm and close-fitting strapless top held her chest in a decent fashion, and the gold fabric twinkled and shimmered wherever she went. Judging by how loud the bells that she wore were, she moved quite frequently.

The blonde warrior glanced sidelong at Prince Loki, and grinned as he watched the prince's green eyes follow Vijona dance across the room. Audven leaned over towards the raven-haired prince, leaning his elbow on the arm of the chair. "Do you still care to hear the explanation, or would you rather-"

"I would enjoy listening. Continue, please." Loki said quietly, his eyes never leaving Vijona.

Audven adjusted himself in his seat, and brought his hand up to his mouth to nonchalantly cover his words as he continued to watch Loki's expressions. "When Lord Frey was appointed as the Lord of Alfheim after your mother's marriage to the All-Father, he brought with him many of his supporters from Vanaheim."

Vijona was close to Odin's table now, the golden veil draped luxuriously across her shoulder blades as she twisted along with the slithering echoes of the lyre. She leaned close over the table to Thor, smiling at him as she spun and lifted the veil over her head; hooking the sheer fabric around his neck, she pulled him forward to lean over the table as she started to dance away. The comedic action earned a laugh from her audience, except from Loki, and she left the Asgardian warrior alone to take his seat with her veil about his neck. Audven watched Loki's eyes follow her as she bounded away, twirling through the air like a glowing ember.

"One of Lord Frey's supporters was my father, Erri the Bold, whom had just married my mother. They had made their home in Alfheim; however, had to relocate back to Vanaheim due to my mother's deteriorating health after Vijona's birth. My father continued to counsel and fight alongside Lord Frey in Alfheim and across the worlds while my mother raised us in the outskirts of Vanaheim."

The music began to build, and Vijona began to dance vigorously. The drum beat and Vijona's hips behaved as one, and she grinned widely as she made eye contact with the leading drum player. The bards were from Vanaheim, that much Audven knew, and they had a familiarity with the way Vijona danced. Vijona's body was a vessel for the music, and it was obvious that she was well trained and in control of each precise muscle movement while she rippled as smoothly as water.

Audven turned his attention back to Loki, whom now had his hands steepled in front of his face as he watched Vijona, and he appeared to have not looked away for one moment. "My sister heavily affiliates with being a daughter of Vanaheim, for when our parents died she lived with Lady Freya and her daughters with the Vanir people until she came of age to run our house in Alfheim. I on the other hand went to Lord Frey and lived in the palace of Alfheim. That is why she is both of Alfheim, and a daughter of Vanaheim." Audven concluded, and the only way he knew he was heard was a simple nod from Loki.

Vijona twisted her way towards the middle of the room as the music picked up, and ever so gently she cascaded to the floor in a flurry of gold skirts and ringing bells. The way she landed on her knees, her body faced south while her back was posed purposefully in front of Loki; her body swayed hypnotically like a snake waiting to strike. As the music faded she leaned backwards, fully arching her back with her arms above her head, moving softly as the rhythm faded away. Vijona stared right at Loki as the music died all together, biting her lip before smiling, a habit she always did. Audven only barely caught Loki's eyes widen before the look was quickly hidden away.

It was a proper Vanaheim dance, and people began to clap vigorously as Vijona stood. She took her skirts in her hands and gracefully bowed to each table in turn, then quickly scurried out of the room as the servants brought on a second course to the tables.

"Where is she going?" Loki asked hazily, and Audven was not sure the question was directed towards him.

The blonde warrior straightened in his chair, and went about once more consuming everything that was on his plate. "Surely you do no expect her to remain thinly clothed for the rest of the evening? She is a future bride of Asgard you know." He said lightly, and glanced across the room at the brunette next to the Warriors Three. She did not appear happy in the slightest after watching the performance, and Audven had made a note to himself to search her out in order to pick up her spirits when everyone was allowed to dance.

* * *

Vijona was exhausted. The eating, drinking, dancing and talking seemed to drag on forever. The most exhausting of all were the millions of questions that were asked over and over again, each by different people, so she could never go on and pretend as if she hadn't heard. Vijona stood in a crowd of Asgardian lords and ladies with an "I am so pleased to be here, truly!" mask on her face as she answered their seemingly endless inquiries.

"Where in Vanaheim did you learn how to dance?" She learned from Lady Freya herself of course!

"Why did Lady Freya not join us this evening?" Lady Freya was feeling ill, perhaps?

"How is the weather in Vanaheim this time of year?" "Has it been a large adjustment for you to live in the palace now?" "How much did your parents leave you when they died?" "Have you been able to speak with your brother for long tonight?" "Are fertility dances always so passionate, or is the culture in Vanaheim more carnal in nature?" "Why is your skin not blue? Are not the Vanir of blue skin?" "Which of the two princes have you spent time with the most?" "Whom are you going to marry?"

"My lords and ladies, I deeply apologize for this; however, I must be so bold as to ask my sweet sister for a dance." A cheery voice said behind her, and Vijona could not give away her wine goblet to the passing servant fast enough.

"Yes of course, let us not wait!" She said hurriedly and took her brother's arm to brusquely making their way to the throng of people dancing in the middle of the room. The dancing nobles were stepping to a lively tune as the drum players were keeping quick time about leading the dance. "I cannot thank you enough Audven."

The golden warrior laughed, "It is no trouble at all Vi, I would hate for you to perish in a mob of nosey nobles; it just would not do." Twirling his sister into the mix of people, the skirt of her mist blue dress flowed about her ankles in a flurry of fabric before settling into the dance's beginning position. "Besides, I have something to discuss with you."

Raising her eyebrows, Vijona's palms gracefully met her brothers before they stepped back from each other, and then met once more together. "What more could you possibly have to discuss?" Aside from their deep conversation earlier in their reunion, she had thought all that had needed to be discussed had been discussed.

"The Lady Sif. Tell me what you know." He said ardently, a wide grin set on his face. After spinning his sister swiftly, he then pulled her in to switch sides on the dancing floor. "I have a feeling that she and I _should_ be acquainted."

Vijona laughed, quickly stepping underneath her brother's outstretched arm, and then toed in quickly at his side. "I doubt a woman that finds company with the Warriors Three better than the company any other woman would be wanting your acquaintance, dear brother."

"You only say that because you hate women." He sulked. What he said was true, for Vijona made little to no female friendships; but it was not from lack of trying. Her own species was a mystery to her.

"I do not hate women." Vijona protested, "You love women too much." She insisted, playfully elbowing him in the side as they turned round and around amongst the other dancing partners on the floor. "Besides, you are here until tomorrow night, a conquest of that sort would have no-"

"I am going to stop you right there dear sister," Audven started, "I have not seen another woman without demonic features in at least a decade, have some pity on a man will you?"

Vijona rolled her eyes and pulled her brother away from the dancing floor. She moved their conversation next to a golden pillar before asking., "And what would you have me do, hm?"

Audven brought his hands together, looking pleadingly at his sister. "Help me in this endeavor, please?" He begged, "I will get on my knees if I must!"

Laughing, Vijona shushed her brother in vain as his knees did begin to gravitate towards the floor in front of her. "Would you stand up straight? You are making a scene! Audven, I am your sister, do you not find it odd to ask of me such a thing?"

Blinking his blue eyes, Audven straightened his posture, "Why sister, I would assume that all species of your sex are easy enough to speak to. You share anatomy, what else could you need to make light conversation in persuading a woman to sleep with me?" He asked, failing at keeping a straight face to his sister.

Vijona was smiling, and started to make a move to violently abuse her brother when Thor, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three all made an appearance at the pillar. "There you are!" The blonde giant called out, "There are some people I would like for you to officially meet." The group stood before the Vanir siblings, not knowing whom was going to make the first move in introductions. Thor appeared to be addled with drink, grinning widely from ear to ear, and still wore Vijona's dancing veil about his shoulders. "Lady Vijona and Lord Audven, these are my friends, the Warriors Three: Fandral the Dashing, Hogun the Grim, and Volstagg the Valiant." Each of the men bowed as Thor said their names, Fandral and Volstagg were the only ones to smile at the siblings. "And this, is the Lady Sif the Stunning." The woman did not appear at all enthused at Thor's choice of a seemingly personal title. She appeared to want a much more masculine title to be introduced with, considering she wore her light armor like a man to this banquet.

Upon being introduced to the Lady Sif, Audven swooped in to make a grandiose bow, and made a point to kiss her knuckles as he smiled at her. "It is truly an honor to make your acquaintance my dear lady!"

Fighting a deep blush that threatened to creep to her cheeks, she cleared her throat and smiled her best as Vijona's brother straightened. "It is an honor to meet you and your… lovely sister as well."

"Yes, it is!" Fandral piqued up, "I must say, your dance was enchanting my lady." He said with a dashing smile playing underneath his blonde mustache.

Thor had spoken kindly of his friends earlier in their afternoon together, so Vijona smiled, finding that the meaning of their words had good intention. "I thank you for your kind words, it is not without spending decades perfecting my art I admit-"

"You were more beautiful than the purest vision, my Lady Vijona. Truly, Asgard has seen no greater beauty in these halls." Thor said loudly, laughing all the while before taking another swig from his tankard of mead. Vijona decided to not take offense at Thor not bothering to listen to the rest of what she had to say, for suddenly she felt something… indirect towards her.

There was an electricity in the air coming from Lady Sif, whom appeared to only scowl at such a compliment given to Vijona from Thor while the men about the circle agreed and continued on in their small talk. Vijona found that Sif was being odd, and perhaps a little jealous? Vijona could imagine what for, and decided that she might as well attempt at conversation with the woman to mend the bridge. When the men's conversation appeared to lull as they resumed their drinking, Vijona decided to take that moment to look upon Lady Sif.

Vijona smiled softly and spoke up gently, "Lady Sif, your light armor is wonderfully made, what kind of-"

"Yes, Lady Sif! Your armor catches the eye of every leatherwork appreciator in the room, I am sure of it." Audven piped up, fully aware of the opportunity of complimenting the woman that was presented by his sister. He perhaps thought she was helping him in his quest to bed the brunette.

Sif gave the least genuine of smiles, and casually glanced over at Vijona before saying to Audven. "Wearing what is simple and true leaves more room for the imagination. I take pride in myself as a woman of Asgard to uphold a good vision of myself and what my skills are." She said sweetly, smiling gently as if there were no double-edged meaning to her words.

All the men, except for Hogun, laughed in an intoxicated manner and did not notice the subtle play of words. Vijona however was quietly boiling with rage while the conversation turned into different armor smiths and the best weapon to use for different battle scenarios. Sif smiled smugly, feeling very much like the victor in the small verbal play. _This _was why she did not make any female friends; they felt threatened. A dance was a dance, nothing more, and it was to entertain. _Why_ did no one see that?

Vijona quietly excused herself from the group, and she took no notice from them, as their debate grew heated. She weaved in and out of the throng of intoxicated nobles. Spying in the corner of the room a servant carrying two bottles of wine, the Vanir woman made a beeline for the lost creature.

The blonde servant girl looked startled as Vijona went up to her, but appeared to relax when the Vanir smiled. "It appears to me that this nobleman right here is looking for a linen to dry his spilled mead, could you help?" Vijona asked pleasantly, gesturing to a fat man whom had his drink all over his lap.

"Oh of course, I just need to put these-"

"Allow me." Vijona said coolly, taking the bottles of wine from the girl. Completely ignoring whatever else the girl did from then on, Vijona walked right out of the open doors of Odin's Hall and into the night.

* * *

Loki had followed Vijona quietly down the hall to a nearby sitting room, stealthily keeping to the shadows and using his powers of illusion to appear invisible when she did check over her shoulder to see if she was followed. The room she chose was warm and inviting, hosting plenty of pieces of furniture and bookshelves. However the Vanir chose to pluck a large fur blanket from the lounge chair and head outside to the metal balcony.

The night was crisp and cool as he quickly sidled along outside before she closed the door behind her. Loki chose to sit on the carved railing of balcony as the Vanir woman bundled herself in the blanket and sat on the ground with her back to the door. Pulling out one of the bottles from underneath her blanket, she looked at the corked glass with distaste as she emanated a loud hissing sound from her throat. She had forgotten to snag anything to open the cursed bottle.

"Let me get that for you." Loki said lightly, removing the illusion from his person. He inwardly smiled as the woman jumped, bringing a hand to her chest as she choked on her sharp intake of air.

"For gods sake- how long have you been there? How did you-?" She asked stupidly, but then shook her head and waved a hand. "Does it matter? I will not reject a helping hand in this." She said with a huff, tossing the prince the bottle.

He caught it deftly with one hand, using his other to fish for his dagger. Bringing it out successfully, he made one swift gesture and cut the end of the neck off the bottle. The top of the bottle soared over the balcony as he stowed his dagger, and then he made quick movements with his fingers to heat his skin. Placing his heated fingers on the lip of the bottle, he smoothed the jagged glass to be safe to drink from. It was a trick he learned spur of the moment in a romantic gesture he had made with a maiden hundreds of years ago. "I watched what happened in your small gathering with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, and decided that your company would be preferable to that of the obscenely drunken nobles I was previously surrounded by."

He stepped down from his perch for a moment and handed the bottle to the Vanir woman. She raised an eyebrow at his words before taking the bottle. "I am unsure if that is a compliment, but you are aware of my mood at present, so I will take it for… whatever it is." Upon taking a long drink from the bottle itself, she earned a raised eyebrow from the prince. "What? Never seen a woman drink before?"

"I never thought you to be a woman to… drink away her emotions."

Laughing, Vijona glanced sidelong as the prince went to lay about on the railing. "I am a woman of many things, and know when to pick my battles. I would rather drink than verbally abuse a viper such as the Lady Sif; for nothing good would come of it."

Loki brought his hands behind his head while the soft wind tickled a few strands of hair free to play about his forehead. "The Lady Sif is merely upset in Thor's chosen behavior. However, it cannot be helped; neither of them have control of their future together at present."

After taking another swallow of wine, Vijona raised both of her eyebrows in surprise. "I was curious about that, for her love towards Thor did not appear that sisterly."

"Their love has not been of a sibling nature for at least a few hundred years. She sees you as a threat, and rightly so, for you may very well end up taking Thor's hand at the end of all this." The prince said, waving his hand about in the air at the obscure mention of 'this.' "Unfortunately for you, you came in unaware of their relationship; something my brother is to take fault for, not you."

Shrugging, Vijona only took another sip of wine. "I do not expect to be made known of past or present conquests, from either one of you." Vijona looked at Loki pointedly, "I am well aware of what I am doing here, and I have no control of your… romances, until a time when I am called wife."

Loki had expected Vijona to be angered at being made known of Thor and Sif's relationship, not accept it. "You don't care of what they do in the meantime?"

"No."

"Why? Does it not bother you that my brother may very well be courting you and the Lady Sif in the same evening? Do you not think that she may bear his child before you are to even be Queen?"

Vijona took another _long_ drink from her bottle, and set it down on the cool floor of the balcony before saying, "I am a stranger here, Prince Loki." Her voice sounded tired. "I do not know what this year is to bring to fruition, and neither does anyone else. Lady Sif is just in her resentment, because I may very well rob her of a life she has dreamt about much longer than I have. My purpose tonight was to catch the eyes of Asgardian Princes, not move in on a man that has quietly been spoken for long before I arrived."

Loki drummed his fingers on his leg, "You are indeed boring; I expected more fight from you Lady Vijona." He said with a slight twist to his mouth, which turned into a smirk as she glanced over at him.

"Is that what you wanted? A fight? What were you expecting to see when you snaked out here?" She asked.

"I'm afraid I don't understand your meaning, Lady Vijona." Loki said plainly continuing to look up at the sky while using much more casual tones of conversation.

"Would you have been overjoyed at the opportunity to pick up the shattered remains of my seemingly naïve attempts in befriending Lady Sif? That you would console me and tell me that everyone should love me? Would you coax me into a final confrontation with the Lady Sif and I would then earn the scorn of your brother Thor?"

"My lady, you read too much-"

"That I should be a final trophy, so easily won and played? You would be so kind to me, such a wonderful shoulder in my social exile, that I should choose you over your brother to become King of Asgard." As she said this, Loki turned his head as he looked at her, and she laughed half-heartedly as he did so. "I am well aware of my predicament, Prince Loki, perhaps it is time for you to think of yours as well."

"How do you mean, Lady Vijona?" He asked icily, his brows furrowing together.

Grinning, she reached over and grasped her bottle, taking another swig from the wine. "My affections do not sway whom becomes King of Asgard; it is between Lord Frey and the All-Father. I am simply here because I am a pawn in the much longer game of the Vanir people. They seek another woman of Vanaheim as Queen, nothing more and nothing less. Your father has said he has been thinking of stepping down for decades now, with no action behind it. They will demand a new King at the end of my time here, or there will be war between the Aesir and Vanir."

"The Vanir cannot be so brazen as to start another war with Asgard." Loki said indignantly.

"The Vanir are many things," Vijona smiled, "- and brazen is one of them. Did you not find it odd that the witch Ormhildra vanished after my dance?" Loki decided to sit up as she asked this, and she continued with a swift answer. "She is off to speak to the priestesses of Asgard about what they foresee in the future of our peoples, because the völur cannot see for themselves." Pulling out the other bottle from beneath her blanket, she tossed the thing at Loki. "You best drink up Prince Loki, because everyone is just as curious as you are in how this year will turn out… And you have just as much control as I do in all _this_." She said with a wave of her hand to match Loki's own action earlier. "So you might as well enjoy the adventure."

Loki had caught the bottle, and surveyed the Vanir woman curiously. She was more intelligent than he had given her credit, and she knew much more of her situation than she had first let on. Perhaps the reunion of her brother brought about this new fountain of information? He did not know the answer, and became clear that the only way he was to become King of Asgard was to in fact impress his father. Just like before.

Pulling out his knife, he made quick work of slicing the bottle open and smoothing out the rough glass with the heat from his magic. Vijona shuffled slightly on the ground, making more room against the door as she patted the cold metal next to her. "If your plans are now to simply drink in the silence of the night air, you might as well join me down here. A fresh start over wine never hurt anyone, hm?"

Loki thought for a moment, only a moment, and then took a swig of the sweet wine before coming down from his perch on the railing. Having nothing to lose, or gain, he decided it would not be ill of him to join her on her level. Upon sitting on the cold floor next to her, he tilted the bottle gently in her direction. "Cheers then?" He asked tiredly, and the two clinked bottles before looking up at the dark Asgardian sky, enjoying the silence of the chilled night.

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**_Thank-you to__** everyone **__who reviewed, followed, and favorited this story! I apologize for the late update; however, no matter how hard I tried I was never satisfied with the final draft of this chapter until now. I may do some more minor editing later on, but with nearing on 8,430+ words I doubt it. Any review or comments would be greatly appreciated and welcomed. The more people review, the more I am inclined to get work out there! These first four chapters are looking to be slow ones, as only a few days have passed… But I promise it will pick up in pace later on!_

_Thank-you for reading!_

_PS - Ormhildra, Vijona, and Vijona's family OCs. Everyone else belongs to __**MARVEL**__._


	4. Family Time

"So what are you telling me, dear brother?"

Audven appeared to be bursting out of his skin, all too ready to divulge the information he so craved to tell. Looking about at all the handmaidens that bustled themselves about preparing Vijona for her day, it was obvious that he did not care to share information in front of them. "Are you quite finished, sweet sister?"

Vijona was seated at her vanity while a red-haired handmaiden waited with a soft brush, "Well, yes I suppose when-"

Audven decided it was time for them to go, and threw his hands high above his head while yelling like a beast. "Flee puny doves! Flutter about and do…. whatever it is you maids do- **somewhere else**!" He boomed in a melodramatic fashion. Not knowing what else to do while their mistress had toppled over the metal stool in a fit of laughter, they all dispersed into the hallway. When the door promptly slammed behind the last exiting maid, Audven swooped back to his recovering sister as she wiped the laughing tears with the back of her sleeve.

"Audven, what in the world has gotten into you-"

"Hush!" He chided swiftly, and scooped his sister off the ground and threw her over his shoulder like a doll. He took the soft brush from her vanity table and ran up the steps to her elevated bed. Upon tossing her onto the bed, he quickly joined her and sat behind her while she adjusted the skirts about her knees. "I have to tell you something!"

"That does seem apparent-"

"Hush! Vijona, you have no idea-"

Vijona turned her head at her brother, handing him the brush with a stern look on her face. "If you interrupt me from speaking one more time, I swear to gods above and below that I will-"

Taking the brush from her hands, he in turn gave his sister a stern look. "String me up by my toenails, yes, yes I know. But sister, I had relations last night, and I _must_ tell you everything."

Vijona made a face as she returned to her previous sitting position. "I am unsure if I want to hear this tale."

"But you must!" He insisted, and went about brushing her long hair, much like how he used to when they were children. "After you excused yourself, I had stayed up long into the night with Thor, the Warriors Three, and the Lady Sif." He started. "However, the other men appeared too consumed in drink to continue further into the night, and retired as well. Which meant that I was left alone with the Lady Sif." Vijona could practically hear her brother's grin.

"Let me guess, you asked her for a tour of the palace?"

"Indeed. I am a guest here after all." He insisted, "We left the Hall and continued our tour until we came to a far and abandoned corridor, where I then made a move and kissed her behind a pillar."

Vijona raised her eyebrows in mock surprise, "Your tales of conquest become more and more elaborate, brother."

"It is not a tale! I am speaking the truth, I swear on- I swear on the Great Tree!" He proclaimed loudly. The Great Tree was a tree that they had spent almost their entire childhood climbing. They had the utmost reverence for that tree, and fully intended to build a large compound encircling it once their families had become bigger. After having a moment's internal debate, she shrugged, and Audven resumed brushing her hair. "Well, we were kissing. And you know what, she started crying. Imagine that? Just started crying into my chest."

Vijona laughed, "That bad at it, eh?"

Audven whacked the top of the woman's head with the brush. "No! She would not tell me why she was crying, but she did want to continue after she had collected herself. I almost had her pants off before she stopped me for good."

"Why did she stop you?"

Vijona could feel Audven's animated shrug behind her as he stopped brushing. "I have not the faintest idea, she said something about her heart not being in it. So I respected the Lady and saw her off to her home within the City. We talked the entire way there, did you know that she is the best female warrior within Asgard?"

"I had an idea…" Vijona trailed off, then continued. "That was very noble of you, walking Lady Sif home."

"Then I went back to the palace, found a loose serving girl, and had unspeakable relations with her all night long."

Vijona gagged, "Audven, you did not have to tell me that part."

"We actually just finished only a few hours ago. I have not slept a wink."

"Audven!"

Vijona could feel Audven grin behind her. "I had not even bathed. She most likely did not have time to bathe herself before stumbling about to her duties this morning… Much like how she stumbled away from my bed this morning."

"Audven, that is quite enough!" Vijona insisted, turning around and pushing him over while he laughed. "That poor girl is most likely heart broken and does not know what to do with herself."

Audven rolled his eyes, "Oh she knew just what to do with my-" He caught wind of his sister's glare, and then let out a deep sigh. "You never let me have any fun."

Vijona rolled her eyes in turn, "This is not a soldier's tent, and I will not have you talk as such. I may have been as good as a brother in childhood, but I am still a woman and will not have such talk spoken so hurtfully of another woman."

"As if you have any love towards your own sex!" Audven groaned, "You're beginning to sound just like Lady Freya. I knew this would happen when you went to Vanaheim, you went and grew up." He frowned.

The Vanir girl harrumphed, displaying possibly just how little growing up she actually did. "_One_ of us needs to do a little bit more growing up I think."

Laughing, Audven feigned being stabbed in the heart. "Even my little sister! I get this enough from Frey you know, I do not need it from-"

Vijona raised an eyebrow, "Frey? When did you become so casual with him?"

Audven stopped laughing, allowing the silence linger in the air for a few moments before he dared speak. "You know… Frey has been more of a father figure to me than our own father. And that should say something, because I am years older than you. Frey should be the only father you know." He mumbled quietly under his breath.

"I have no father." Vijona said darkly. "He died long ago."

Sighing in frustration, Audven tossed the wooden brush across the room. It clattered against the metal floor vigorously, reflecting his nerves towards the topic at hand. "Vijona, Frey has-"

"_Frey_ was the one that separated us, remember? _Frey_ was the one that sent me to that isolated hole he called a house. _Frey_ was the one that convinced you to become a warrior and fight the fire demons in Alfheim. _Frey_-"

"Vijona, stop." Audven said while raising his hand. He sat himself up in front of his sister, and took her hands in his while he looked into her blue eyes. "Frey did what any Lord would do with multiple wards: he dispersed them as necessary. We are not his kin. Frey sent you to our home in Alfheim when he could to spare you more adult years of being with his sister. Frey did not convince me to become a warrior. I did that myself." Audven reminded, "Frey had attempted in convincing me out of being a warrior, if you recall, but I would have none of it." Audven took his sister's chin in his fingers, forcing the girl to look into his eyes. "Vijona, think of everything that has happened in the past as a precursor to your new life that is just starting-"

Vijona croaked out a broken laugh, pulling her chin out of her brother's hands. "If I had been born a man I would be next to you in the field of battle. Not sent off to make children." She spat, becoming worked up in her truer emotions. "The Lady Sif is making a name for herself by being a warrior, she is obligated to no man." Scrambling off the bed, Vijona pointed a finger at her brother. "Lady Sif's brother is Heimdall the All-Seer! Did you know that? He is more obligated than most to continue his family's line, yet his sister is still on her own path. She-"

Audven sat up in his sister's bed, looking at her squarely in the eye. "She had the upbringing to be a warrior. Her brother, I assume, placed her on such a path so she would not be obligated to marry anyone at her age."

"Then why could you not do the same for me?"

The question hung pregnant in the room, and Audven watched the years of his sister's exile well up in her eyes. "Lord Frey asked if you should stay with me." He started, "Your life would be that akin to mine. Following his armies, fighting the enemy, going from world to world with no end in sight. Is that what you wanted?" He asked darkly, with some venom behind his words. "_My_ life, is that what you wanted?"

"Yes."

"Then you are a child, Vijona."

"Hah! My future husband will be surprised!" She said sarcastically, "The best womanly piece Vanaheim has to offer, and it's a child."

Audven stood up, and looked down at his sister from his whole six-inch advantage. "You are **not **a _piece._" He seethed. "I do not love this anymore than you do, sister. If there had been anyone else, I would have made certain Frey had chosen her. _Lady_ Freya could not part with one of her precious daughters, as horrible as they are…" He placed a hand on her cheek, his expression softening. "You likely did a great service to the royal family for sparing them of those monstrosities."

Vijona offered a crack to her stony expression, the curl of her mouth turning up at the thought of how the family would react to one of Lady Freya's daughters. "I suppose I am an improvement…"

Her brother breathed out deeply, placing his hands on the sides of her head and roughly kissed her forehead. "_Yes_, you are! Now," He took one of her hands in his, "-let us go adventure about this palace and see where your potential husbands are at. I am interested in having some _family time_ before I leave tonight."

* * *

Loki stood in the center of the training yard with his usual group consisting of: his brother, the Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three. All were dressed in their lightest of armor, standing around a long table with a wide range of weapons spread out before them. Today's practice was a bimonthly check to see if weaker skills had improved. In Thor's case it was light combat and for Loki it was heavy weaponry. Every member around the table had a comment or piece of advice for the Princes on how to best improve their skills; however, each telling involved the phrase "Practice, practice, practice."

The brunette prince could have cared less for heavy weaponry or the combat that came with it. The heavy weaponry for Loki consisted of his spells; which was why he had a greater desire to search out this völva that lurked somewhere within the palace's walls before she departed. Speaking to her would prove to be a much greater help than standing about a table of sharp objects with this group of simpletons.

Not that he minded them much. They were loud, rambunctious, and very much like Thor… Which proved to be useful in a tight situation. They knew he had no great love for them, and he knew likewise from them. Yet they also found his rare comments to be funny on occasion, and took Loki's frequent silence for wandering in his own thoughts. Little did they know, he was actually listening.

In order to maintain the small love they did have for him, Loki had to subject himself to their monthly gatherings to check on lacking skills and actually participate in their mild banter. It was all beneath Loki, yet there was a taste of this that the brunette found… appealing. For an afternoon, they accepted him wholeheartedly and without much fuss. They spoke fondly of the few adventures he did partake with them, and it felt normal to be with them. They knew he lacked the personal level of people skills his brother had, meaning skills in conversation beyond two meetings with a singular person. However, they could not refute his ability to detect the smaller movements of combat and point out their flaws. He knew it was an annoying trait, but a trait that could prove the difference of life or early passage to Valhalla.

"Thor, why not spar with Loki so we can see how you have fared this past month? Goodness knows you need to deflate that ego of yours." Fandral joked.

Loki ran a hand through his loose hair, his loose linen shirt billowing in the breeze. "I can tell you all already that he has not been practicing, there would be no point. The aged blisters on his hands tell me that he has been working with heavy weapons, not light weaponry."

Thor laughed, "You have caught me, brother. However, perhaps there is hope that my footwork has improved?"

Rolling his eyes, the look on his face showed that Loki highly doubted it. "What I am saying is that perhaps you should try our time next month instead-" He paused, hearing a shuffling of feet at the entry to the training yard. He turned his head towards the noise, and witnessed the Vanir siblings with a cloaked figure draw towards the royal group. The rest of Loki's party had caught direction of his gaze as well, yet Thor was the first to wave and speak loudly.

"Welcome friends! You are just in time to witness a practice between my brother and myself." Thor beamed as the figures drew closer. The Vanir siblings came into closer view, smiling while they walked arm in arm in their matching blue attire. To everyone's surprise, the witch Ormhildra was also with them. She wore a thick grey robe that covered most of her figure, combined with a hood that shielded most of the sun from her face. It was apparent that the siblings were just as startled by her appearance as the rest of the group in the yard was. It was not warm outside, yet it certainly was not cold enough for such thick fabric. "Perhaps we might even see a demonstration from you, Lord Audven?" Thor bellowed with a white-toothed smile across his tanned face.

"If there is a servant with drink about here somewhere, perhaps I can be coerced into such a demonstration!" The Vanir Lord yelled right back, earning a soft shake of the head from his sister. As the smaller group drew closer, everyone made their appropriate bows and greetings, with a lot of knuckle kissing and "truly honored," kinds of lines.

Thor looked upon the witch Ormhildra, and smiled at her with a questioning look about his face. "And what honor would grant us the audience of you, Völva Ormhildra?"

"It has been divined that the Princes of Asgard should be great warriors… I came to see if this was an accurate telling." Loki shivered as she finished speaking. Few people could disturb the Prince's peace of mind, and this witch had done it with two sentences. Her voice sounded like the cool hiss of a blade between ribs, or the final whisper of innocence lost. It vibrated with a kind of power that belonged to centuries of studying magic, and took a man such as Loki to appreciate just how powerful her voice was. "Whom was about to spar before we… interrupted?" The witch asked, an innocent smile about her lips that did not fit the soul within.

"My brother and I were about to-"

"No. That will not do." Ormhildra decided, interrupting Thor. After Loki had an intense talk with his elder brother about his lack of behavior last night towards the witch, the blonde prince knew better than to challenge her. "There is… energy here. Perhaps between you and Lady Vijona? Let us see it."

Vijona looked startled. "I do not think that it would be wise to-"

Ormhildra turned upon Vijona, "Did you not receive training in combat?"

"I did-"

"Can you not defend yourself in a dress?"

"I can-"

Ormhildra smiled, alleviating some of the tension in the air. "Then do not tell me what is wise, and what is not. I want to see you spar. There is energy here, and I wish to locate the source."

Thor laughed, and gestured towards the large table of weapons. "Take your pick, my lady. Let us keep it light, shall we?"

Waving a hand, Vijona sighed and walked some distance away from the group to where a chalk ring was drawn out. "I will not need a weapon, my Prince. I do advise you, Prince Thor, that you choose the elongated dagger to your right. It will serve your purpose better."

Thor raised an eyebrow, as if he was speaking to a child about something imaginary. "Hah! So I shall, at your request my Lady." He mused, and followed her. The entire group turned to watch the two stand in the center of the ring. Thor looked as if he enjoyed the attention, and Vijona looked as if she would rather disappear entirely.

"You may begin at your leisure." Ormhildra said evenly, a soft smirk playing about her ivory lips.

Thor casually walked from side to side, the dagger held openly at his right. "I promise I will not hurt you."

"I know." Vijona said with a hint of… pain to her voice? Loki could not tell what it was, but it was apparent that the woman did not wish to be there. Thor walked around the circle, and Vijona walked about the opposite way of him. Every step Thor took, Vijona mirrored the opposite, even hesitated perfectly when he was unsure of where to go.

"Let us get this over with, I am sure your brother would enjoy some time sparring as well." Thor said simply with a brilliant smile, and made a quick move towards the woman. It was a bluffing move, one that would have inspired a weaker woman to cower. Vijona was not a weaker woman. She dodged the horizontal slice with great ease, batting away his hand as if it were a large toy. He brought his other large hand up to combat the move, making to swat her away with the back of his hand.

Vijona ducked, swung a foot out to stagger the hulking man before her, and spun about his back to kick him harshly in the tender crook behind his right knee. Not expecting the burst of pain, Thor cried out and was brought to a knee as Vijona took his hulking wrist with both hands and brought the knife to his neck.

"Yield." She said softly, letting go of his hand and backing away slowly. She had yielded to him.

There was a soft clap echoing from the group, most were unsure of what had exactly happened. However, Loki of course saw it all. It was not that Vijona had any special power over Thor at all, quite the contrary. Thor had seen Vijona so lowly that he had misjudged her own capabilities of misdirection and weight distribution. Loki had guessed that she would be quick on her feet in combat after witnessing last night's performance; however, he did not actually think that he would witness her skills so soon. Vijona never needed a weapon, for she knew that Thor would not think of her as Lady Sif. Thor would see her only as a fluttering woman, not a person of potential danger. She had won the fight before it had even started.

Thor quickly stood up, and looked upon the woman with his brows furrowed. He too saw her in a new light. "Where did you learn to move like that?"

"A woman learns many things over the course of her life." She put simply, not answering Thor's question at all. She went to go stand next to her brother, her arms folded across her chest and looking anywhere other than the other members of the group.

Ormhildra's brow furrowed deeply. "Prince Loki, Lady Vijona, if you please."

Thinking better than protesting, Vijona simply took the knife that Thor had put back on the table and headed back out into the ring. Loki followed her, taking a long dagger as well with him. They faced each other in the ring, and Loki only spared one glance at the look on her brother's worried face before he returned his attention to the woman in front of him.

The wind blew her long hair about her frame, the fabric of her blue dress clinging tightly to her curves as her skirts blew about her ankles. Vijona's blue eyes locked to his own green ones, and Loki steadied himself for her first move. She was emotional, and would strike first with a diagonal swipe in the air. Loki would parry, pushing her backwards by her blade before she spun out of his reach. Striking from below, she would attempt to make a stab at his thigh before he kicked her hand away. He would knee her in the stomach before she slashed at his arm, drawing his blood and becoming startled. He would use this to his advantage, using the hilt of his dagger to smash her blade out of her hand before coming up behind her and pressing the blade against her throat. She would yield once more this day.

She behaved just as he predicted.

Just before the prophetic "yield" could be heard from her lips, she did something that he did not expect. She attempted to struggle away, even with the knife pressed against her throat. His left arm shot out like a snake and wrenched her left hand away from the blade, gripping her wrist tightly as he held her firmly against his body.

Her hair smelled like rosewater, and it became apparent that she used the lavender in the garden to perfume her clothes as well. He stood half a head taller than her, and her body fit against his in a… pleasing sort of way. She struggled once more against him, and he pressed the blade tighter against her throat. In order to spare the pressure on her jugular, he eased somewhat as she turned her head to the side. The soft skin of her forehead brushed against his jawline, and he found the contact to be jarring. Stiffening his shoulders, he pressed the blade firmer against her throat, earning a slight choke from her before she croaked.

"Yield."

He let go of her in a flurry of twirling skirts and dust, the woman coughing loudly as she started to right herself. Loki did not bother waiting on her to recover; he simply made his move towards the table with the rest of his group. Thor looked upon his younger brother with a disapproving look. "Was that truly necessary?"

Loki raised an eyebrow. "She is a woman of talent, brother. It was your downfall to think less of her." He pointed out. He looked towards the Vanir Lord who had stayed where he was, not looking at all worried for his sister as she made her way towards him. "Perhaps you should work on your skills in observation, Thor."

Thor appeared angry, yet he held back his tongue. It was an unusual trait of his brother, and it was starting to bore Loki. "Perhaps."

Ormhildra appeared to be satisfied, or at least the… look on her face appeared to be her version of pleased. "I thank-you, everyone. I will not overstay my welcome." With that, she turned on her heel and glided right out of the training yard.

Loki looked between the group, whom had started conversing loudly and animatedly once the witch was out of earshot. He was unsure of what to do, for he truly wished to speak with the völva about magic. He glanced once at Vijona, whom looked completely well at the present moment. She held onto her brother's arm and smiled as Thor was conversing with her, apparently deeply interested in her learned fighting style.

Loki decided that nothing in the yard was worth his time by staying; and he made a once in a millennia decision to seize the opportunity to converse with a witch of old.

* * *

Vijona was shattered. She knew her brother would leave this night, yet the hours they had spent together hinted nothing towards their time together ever ending. The All-Father and All-Mother had already said their goodbyes inside of the palace, and had bid their sons to help escort the Vanir company to Heimdall's Observatory and bring Vijona back safely. As they all stood around in the golden room, Thor bid the guards to leave in order to give the esteemed persons some privacy; and to take back the horses that the Vanir company had ridden on their way to the Bifrost.

As Audven and Lord Frey were making their farewells to the Princes, Vijona stood off to the side with her hands clasped firmly in front of her, shaking off the itching desire to weep uncontrollably. Feeling a hand grasp her shoulder firmly, Vijona gasped softly and turned her head to stare into the eyes of the witch Ormhildra.

_Do not be afraid, my dear. My words will be short._ The witch smiled, showing off her ivory teeth. _Lord Frey and Lord Audven make for Muspelheim in half a year. There is a war growing, Lady Vijona. I cannot see it. The priestesses cannot see it. An ill omen resides in the shadows of unknown war. Only when it rubs its ribs against the ground in prayer will we hear it. And then it might be too late. _Taking Vijona's chin in her hands, Ormhildra forced Vijona to maintain eye contact. _My words for you are these: learn the art of __**true **__magic. I feel this war will not be won with blades or fists… or those small illusions you have learned for your dancing._ "You danced pleasingly last night, your ancestors are proud of your accomplishments." When Ormhildra had started speaking audibly, Vijona could not tell, the verbal sound from her mouth sounded foreign. Vijona's lips stumbled over a thank-you before the powerful woman released her face. Truly, völva were the most terrifying creatures Vijona had ever met.

Lord Frey then walked up to Vijona, and embraced her tightly. "You will make the Vanir proud, I know it." he said quietly into her ear.

Vijona simply stood still in the awkward embrace, yet mustered her courage to whisper back, "If he dies, I will never forgive you." The great Lord's body went rigid, and immediately let go of the girl and backed away towards the Bifrost. His goodbye to her was finished.

Audven raised his eyebrow as he strode towards his sister, his golden armor gleaming beautifully in the goldenrod glow of the observatory. She knew he wanted to ask what had just transpired, yet he also knew this was not the time nor place. The siblings wrapped their arms tightly about each other, almost choking the life out of their tall frames. Audven kissed the top of Vijona's head and laughed softly.

"Only a year longer, sister. Then I shall return to you for good, I promise." Vijona raised an inquisitive brow, her eyes brimming with tears. "The All-Father has promised me a position amongst his army, one befitting of his son-in-law. After this day's events, I have chosen to take it. We will not be apart forever, sister, I promise."

Vijona lit up with a great smile and kissed her brother on the cheek. "Stay safe, please. Stay safe." She repeated, and he kissed her on the cheek in return. "I love you, brother."

Grinning widely, he mussed her loose hair and let go of her. "I love you too sweet sister. Do not get into too much trouble while I am gone, hm?" He asked of her lightly, waving at her as he retreated towards the Bifrost.

Vijona was so overcome with tears that she did not even hear Lord Frey's exchange with Heimdall to send them to Alfheim. She only had eyes on her golden brother, and an electric moment later, he was gone. The echoes of the Bifrost lingered in the observatory for a few moments, turning the silence into a blanket that suffocated Vijona's throat. She did not hear Thor make their goodbyes to Heimdall, and suddenly she was aware that she was out in the colder air of Asgard.

"Good job brother. They took all the horses the Vanir travelled on."

"I just do not understand what I said wrong."

"Lady Vijona is a _Vanir_ woman, Thor! Her horse is gone as well!"

Vijona blinked, noticing only two horses remained standing at the mouth of the observatory; the Princes' horses. Apparently the guards had taken Lady Vijona's horse, thinking that Thor had meant hers as well.

Vijona started saying, "Well, I could always walk or-"

"Nonsense, you will simply have to ride with one of us." Loki mumbled darkly.

Thor let out a sigh, and ran a large hand through his golden tresses. "Perhaps she would be better suited to ride with you Loki. I am large in my saddle, and she would have difficult time holding on."

Loki let out a relenting sigh, "You are right. Norns know you are a terrible rider anyway."

Thor bristled somewhat, "I am the only Prince that can _fly_. I can simply call upon Mijolnir and-"

"And what? Use it for such a trivial matter? You know mother would only scold you more than she already will."

Thor grumbled and got upon his horse. "Fine."

Loki went to his horse, swinging his leg over the saddle on his black stallion. "Come Lady Vijona, climb on." He said a little gently, seeming to feel the lost air about her. It was a voice that she had never heard him use before, and it almost did not appear to match his darker personality.

She wandered over to his horse, and looked up at him. The night was young, with a few traces of burnt orange still clinging to the Asgardian sky. The colors accented Loki nicely. His black hair hung loosely about his shoulders, and it appeared that he only bothered to put on his black, long-sleeved cloak after being in the training yard all day. She could not tell how many seconds she had been standing there, and she appeared surprised when he extended a hand to her in order to help her on his horse. She took it, his hand comfortingly cool against her own warm ones; and he helped hoist herself upon the steed.

Once she appeared comfortable enough sitting sidesaddle behind him, she placed her hands on the waist of his coat and let out a quiet sigh. "I am ready." Just like that, Loki beckoned the steed to a canter and they went off into the night. Whether it was the cold air against her eyes or the pain of being apart from her brother once more, tears began forming in Vijona's eyes. Letting out a choked sigh, she attempted at silencing herself, yet only managed in clenching Loki's cloak too tightly as she cried quietly across the Rainbow Bridge and into the night.

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**_Thank-you for reading! Special very special thank-you to everyone that favorited, followed, rated, etc. You people are the reason I keep updating, and I truly adore the support. Please rate or message me with ideas about how you think my character creation is going. Vijona is truly not a weepy character, you all shall see later. Yet, in matters concerning family, it's natural to expect a few tears. Hopefully some more time will pass in the next few chapters; to think, it's only been a few days! At any rate, thank-you again for reading, and happy holidays! -MH_


	5. Running

_A stone house endured on top of a lonely hill. Light spilled across a worn blanket thrown across the foot of the large bed. A young girl curled up underneath the thick covering, failing to rest as the bedframe shook with quakes of sickness. The owner of the bed was tucked beneath a mound of sheets and blankets; a louder symphony of coughs from underneath beckoned the attention of a man seated nearby. His large personage went to her bedside and sat near her, moving blankets to find her hand. Upon finding the appendage, he held on tightly as his iced eyes searched the ghostly visage under the blankets. His weathered face betrayed exhaustion and worry as he lifted the ivory hand to kiss the knuckles softly. A low humming rumbled through the air as he started to sing an old tune, hoping to pull the woman from her fever._

Vijona's heart felt like it would leap out of her chest at any second. She had spent the entire morning running about the marketplace of Asgard: dashing in and out of shops, running under bridges, and climbing to the roofs of buildings in order to better hide her trail. Wearing commoner clothes, brown pants and a cream tunic, she looked like any other lowborn citizen of Asgard. Her only indicator of higher birth was her banner-like golden mane, which trailed behind her loosely as she weaved in and out of people.

Asgard's streets were loud, smelling of green trees and warm spices. The stone roads were smooth, making it easier for the Vanir woman to skid about corners and disappear into shadows. It was pleasant to see the bustle of the city. Children were running about, girls were giggling, and men were drinking enthusiastically through the heat of the afternoon. A quieter girl would have been concerned about being recognized. Vijona reasoned that it had only been a week since the Vanir company had left, she was still a new face. She also believed that the citizens of Asgard would never think that the "kept dancer" of the royal family would ever step a toe beyond the palace walls.

They thought wrong.

She lay there in the sand, laughing to herself as she gripped the grains between her fingers. She had lost her hunter, it would seem. The high noon Asgardian sun shone down relentlessly as Vijona soaked in the rays, a smile on her face that was vaguely resembled that of victory. The seas rolled a few feet away from her, the waves clamoring endlessly to kiss the shore one more time. Asgard was surrounded by water, and more frequently than not a few snippets of beach were tucked away behind houses. Sure, it was not entirely hidden, but it was a peaceful scene; so Vijona placed her hands behind her head to just relax for a few more moments.

A dark shadow fell over her face, and Vijona furrowed her brows in confusion. Opening one blue eye, she looked up and saw a sharply angled face stare down at her. The sun highlighted the shape of the closely shaved head, making the appearance of the person look more like an eclipse rather than a hunter finding its prey.

"I thought you said you could outrun anyone, my lady." The eclipse said smoothly, a hint of mirth underlying the words.

Vijona groaned, "I did say that, Magga." The eclipse quickly made a move to sit next to the Vanir woman, and the blonde hissed as the sun burned her eyes. "Oh for the love of- rubbing it in are we?" She asked moodily, massaging her eyes as she righted herself to a seated position.

Magga laughed, "I apologize Lady Vijona, I could not resist."

"Sure, sure." Vijona muttered, yet smiled at her handmaiden as her eyes regained their ability to function in the brightness of the day.

Magga was a blessing. Loki had been right when he said that the handmaidens she had previously been left with were freshly cropped. After a disastrous few days of trying to train them to no avail, Gna had told the Queen that they were simply no good, and that they would be better suited for kitchen duty. Queen Frigga relented, and offered Vijona the wonderful woman that she would soon come to cherish; Magga.

Magga could do everything that her previous five handmaidens could not, in much less time. It was as if Magga was put in the realm to complete Vijona's sentences, thoughts, and desires. Magga was fiery, she was simple, and she always knew just what to say to make Vijona feel better. She memorized Vijona's preferences in how she liked her clothes laid out, how hot to run her bath, and she also knew when to kick Vijona out of bed.

The handmaiden was unique, despite her traditional blonde hair and blue-eyed look. Magga had an extremely angled face, and was accentuated more so by the way she kept her hair. Instead of cropping her hair behind her ears like the other maidens, Magga opted to have a closely shaved head like that of the male servants. She was extremely tall, at least half a head taller than Vijona, and had the body of a warrior like that of Lady Sif. Perhaps it was because of Magga's height, or the fiery way she looked, but Vijona could not protest when Magga insisted anything. So, Vijona was left no time to mope after Audven left. Magga had quickly picked up the emotional wreck that was Vijona, and put her back together through many easygoing talks and exploits inside and outside of the palace.

Vijona's handmaiden was daring, adventurous, and always posed a challenge that Vijona was ready to tackle. To some outsiders their relationship would appear unorthodox, but Magga was always quick to respect Vijona when it came down to any matter. Magga never forgot her place.

"I merely suggested that I could find you anywhere, Lady Vijona. You were the one that literally ran away with the idea." Magga shrugged her bony shoulders, and adjusted the burnt red fabric of her skirts.

Vijona chuckled and went about piling sand over her leather shoes. "Well, I had to test the theory did I not? No one can simply make such claims without the action to back it up."

Magga's deep blue eyes gleamed with laughter, yet the action never left her throat. "Perhaps it is as you say, my lady. Though you were a hard mark to keep track of. I suppose you had plenty of practice, hm?"

Vijona nodded, "Yes. Audven and I often played like this as children, running about the forest while attempting to find each other. He would win, always." A slow smile spread about her face. "I would climb a tree, every time. I think that is how he constantly found me; he just kept looking into the branches of the trees. Once he did find me, I would always yell for him to catch me as I jumped out." She dashed away the sand at her feet with her hands, "And he always would."

"Sounds like you both were inseparable."

"We were." Vijona sighed, "Well, I suppose most children are to some extent with their siblings at a young age. Did you have any siblings?"

Magga laughed, "Oh no. I am sure my mother thanked the Norns for that everyday." She brushed the sand off her skirts, and stood up. "Come along my lady, we might as well adjourn to the palace now. It will take ages to get all that sand out of your hair." The handmaiden commented.

Vijona laughed as she stood up, "We could always just cut it all off."

"That would be a crime, my lady." Magga said lightly, walking with the Vanir woman down the stretch of the beach.

"You are right I guess." She said breathily, stepping with some difficulty through the coarse sand. "Prince Thor has commented on it plenty enough times that I think he would take offense if I did cut it."

Magga chuckled, "Yes, well, your hair vaguely reminds him of Lady Sif's previous color I assume."

Vijona raised an eyebrow, "Previous?"

"Prince Loki cut it off when they were children, and when he was caught by the Queen he had dwarves commission new hair for the Lady Sif."

Vijona whistled lowly, "So why did her hair turn raven?"

"He did not pay them well enough to their liking." Magga put simply, "He was saved when Prince Thor said the new color suited her better, so she did not make any moves to change it or harm the Prince Loki after the matter."

Vijona twisted her mouth in thought. She had heard rumors from the servants that Prince Loki did not call himself the God of Mischief for nothing; but actually hearing a tale of his previous exploits began putting the prince in a new light. "Where has he been?"

"Who, my Lady?"

"Prince Loki. Where is he?" She asked curiously.

Magga shrugged, "Who knows? He often disappears for weeks on end. Once, he did not show his face for two months. King Odin became so infuriated at how worried his son made Queen Frigga, that he blasted down Prince Loki's bedroom door and dragged him out to have breakfast with the family. Nowadays Prince Loki must at least make weekly appearances to his mother in order to prevent that from happening again." Magga eyed the Vanir over. "You surely are not worried that you scared him off?"

Vijona raised her eyebrows and gave a slight shrug, "I did weep into his cloak like an idiot."

Magga chuckled lightly, "Oh come now my lady, Prince Loki deals with the mystical and arcane. I am sure that there are spells that are much more frightening than a woman weeping into his cloak."

Vijona rolled her eyes. Magga meant that in an insulting way, for the arcane arts were seen as a womanly path here on Asgard. Yet Vijona let the comment slide and hang in the air as the two walked down the beach, up a stone incline, and then into the busy throng of the marketplace. Vijona did not actually think that she scared off the younger prince, but he made it blatantly clear that he was obviously not interested in her any longer. Curious what the power of a crown can do to some people. Not that she necessarily blamed him. He did not know her at all, so what was the point in pretending that he cared?

"Magga, what do we have to do today?" Vijona asked loudly over the noise of the market, weaving her way in and out of assorted customers and store hawkers.

Magga gently took the Vanir's arm, and lead the woman through a less crowded side of the street. "I finally procured a meeting between you and the Queen to speak of magic lessons."

Vijona grew incredibly nervous. "I thought the priestesses were the best ones to speak to about teaching me magic?"

Magga shook her head, "No. The Queen taught the priestesses. The Queen taught the All-Father. The Queen taught Prince Loki." She smirked at Vijona, "You will go to the teacher, not the students."

* * *

Prince Loki was not amused in the slightest as he lead his mother arm in arm through the hallways of the palace. "I am baffled by your serendipitous attitude toward what is to transpire." He mumbled darkly, his bleak disposition a stark contrast to the sunny light pouring through the open archways.

Queen Frigga chuckled quietly, patting her son's hand as she smiled at a few servants who passed them. "Do not be so dramatic, my son. I did not ask anything trying from you."

"You did not; however there was no option to refuse this matter either. Which makes it trying. She has only been a guest in this house for a week, and she already requests a favor from you? What does that say about her character? The Vanir most likely put her up to this as a test to see how powerful Asgard's magic is." Loki deduced bitterly.

"No, the Vanir did not put her up to this. I spoke with her in great length and I have found that her reasons are of a personal nature; and I am disinclined to share them with you." She quipped shortly. "I am asking you to be there because it will be good for you. There will come a time when you will take students under your wing, and you must handle them to the best of your ability. The excellence of your teaching is the only way to keep magic alive in Asgard; you and I both know this." She mumbled while casting a sideways glance at him, "And it has come to my attention that you have not made any attempts at seeing her since her brother left."

The raven-haired prince sighed deeply, "And what of it?"

"Loki," Frigga sighed, exasperation heavy in her words. "Do you intend on your brother being the only Prince of Asgard to entertain her?"

"Entertaining a Vanir woman will do nothing in my efforts to better myself for the crown, mother."

"Ignoring a guest of Asgard will do you no favors either, my son." His mother said, using that tone of voice that she always used when she was cross. It was like Loki was a child, being scolded for something that he took no interest in. When he did take interest in something, he would disappear for a time to become engrossed in it; and then he would be scolded once more. It was a never-ending cycle that would have made Loki's head spin if he were a moronic sort of man. Luckily for him, he was not, and over the years he found it better to simply abide by what his mother said for now.

With his left hand, he rubbed the bridge of his nose after giving a relenting sigh. "I promise I will _entertain_ our guest to the best of my abilities."

Loki's mother smiled at him, giving his forearm a gentle squeeze. "Thank-you. Yesterday I shared an afternoon lunch with her, and I confess I grow a little concerned for her. She appears to be such a sad girl."

The prince sighed. He did not know what to think of the woman. She was opinionated, she was brave, and she rose quickly to a challenge. If anything, her emotions that were displayed showed her extreme weakness towards her family. It would be touching, if Loki were a more moronic man. Luckily, he was not. "I do not think she is sad, not anymore. She is simply lost."

Frigga raised an eyebrow, "Were you not the one to come to me fuming, swearing that she was the most over-emotional, weepy wretch you ever had the misfortune of meeting?"

"She released her emotions in a liquid fashion upon my favorite cloak."

"You hated that cloak dear."

Loki groaned, "It was her emotionally leaking upon my person that I did not enjoy."

His mother also sighed, exasperated even more by her young son. "It is my sincerest wish that when you do marry, you learn to control your tongue. If you do not, I suppose we will have to wed you to your library."

The prince grinned to himself, "You might be doing the realms a service by forcing that issue upon me."

"Now hush! We are here." Loki opened the doors, giving a grand swooping gesture to allow his mother inside first. "Oh gracious, you did arrive here first. I do hope it was not too difficult to find this place?"

Loki closed the large gold door behind him, and turned around to view the palace's Observation room. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the changing sky outside, and showered the metallic gold room with the natural light of the afternoon. Personally, Loki enjoyed the observation room. The décor was simple enough to his taste, without overpowering the beauty of the thousands of tomes sleeping in their shelves that covered the vast majority of the walls. The circular room was exquisitely large, with stone floors that shone brightly whenever light caught it in just the right fashion. There were bulky pieces of lounge furniture scattered about just far enough to feel as if someone had a private space.

On one such seat lounged the Lady Vijona with a tome on her lap, the blushing pink fabric of her dress cascading delicately off the lip of her seat. Her soft gold hair was kept in a thick braid that swayed frantically as she scrambled to stand up, inclining her head to the Queen and Loki. "Not at all my Queen, my handmaiden Magga knew of the place well enough to get me here without any issue arising." As she righted herself, she readjusted the tome at her hip and smiled at Loki. "I suspect the Queen brought you here to help this endeavor, and for that I apologize. It has been some decades since I have studied magic."

Loki sighed inwardly, already knowing how trying this was to actually be. However, he only displayed the most jovial nature as he reached for her hand, giving her a dashing smile as he kissed her knuckles. "I am sure this experience will be pleasant." He said smoothly as he let go of her fingers.

Clearly pleased by the display, Queen Frigga smiled brightly. "We might as well get started."

* * *

It was not a pleasant experience. Vijona had never felt so mentally drained in her entire life. The only time she had ever come this close was when she had tried to hold a conversation with Lady Freya over an entire dinner. It was an experiment of sorts, and the only way she was able to continue was the knowledge that she could stop talking at anytime. This lesson however, was something that she had absolutely no control over.

She had no idea she was so rusty! Vijona could do smaller illusions with ease. She could misdirect attention, shower the air with disappearing sparks, and turn herself into a liquid on the floor; but, she could never maintain any of the simpler spells. Much to her chagrin, she could not even do a simple trick like light her thumb on fire. The Queen was entirely supportive, patient, and wonderful when it came to how little Vijona knew. The Prince was another story.

Prince Loki always appeared to bite his tongue, smile as if he smelled a pile of dung, and cough every so often to cover a light chuckle at her attempts. It was a grueling thing to endure, and it played on her nerves more than she would like to admit. When Frigga finally called it an evening, Vijona wiped the sweat beading on her brow and smiled wearily. "I cannot say that I am unhappy to hear you say that."

The Queen walked towards Vijona, placing her hands on the younger woman's shoulders. "Do not let this hinder you, my dear, from pursuing further lessons. Everyone must start somewhere. Let us continue next week, hm?"

Feeling as if she had been excused, Vijona dipped her head slightly and exited the grand room with quick strides. Her face was hot as she walked passed the Prince, not wanting to look at him in the eye out of embarrassment. The doors opened without her touching them, and she quickly slipped into the cooling air of the early evening.

As if she were a shadow, Magga quickly fell into step behind Vijona in the palace hallway. "Well, how did it-"

"Dreadfully." Vijona sighed, "It appears that I am only as good as a child."

"You have to start from somewhere my lady."

Vijona bit the inside of her mouth, walking past guards and maids scuttling about their business. "That is what the Queen said. However, I am inclined to feel a bit… embarrassed. I am from Vanaheim after all. Have I truly forgotten so much?"

She could feel Magga smiling behind her. "My lady, with something such as magic, I doubt you can forget it. It will all come back to you soon."

"Maybe when it all comes back, my pride will come back with it!" Vijona said while making big gestures with her hands. "How could I have lost _all_ of it?!" She exclaimed exasperatedly. By now some servants were beginning to watch as the lady and the maid walked through the halls, and Magga quickened her pace to get closer to Vijona.

"My Lady Vijona, if you insist on expressing yourself in a loud manner perhaps we should retire to your room?"

Vijona had a few choice words to say to that matter, however was quickly interrupted by a smooth male voice. "My Lady Vijona."

Vijona spun on her heel abruptly and Magga came running into her. Batting her servant away, Vijona came face to face with Prince Silvertongue himself. "Oh. Prince Loki." She said half-heartedly, "What may I help you with?" She asked as Magga maneuvered around her.

Prince Loki smiled serenely, the same kind of smile he used before the lesson. It made her blood boil. "My Lady, I was wondering if you would care to join me for a private dinner tonight? Nothing entirely formal, just food, wine, and good company."

Vijona blinked a few times, as if she had not heard what the Prince had just said. Could he be so wretched? "… No." Once the word left her lips, she turned and began to walk away down her current path. It was her wishful thinking that Prince Loki would simply just stand there stunned; however, it was not the case, and he quickly caught up to her.

"Pardon me?" He asked, breaking into a slight jog to catch up to her. Loki walked backwards in front of her, a grating smile plastered to his face. Despite his inability to see where he was going, servants and guards were quick to move around him.

"I said no quite plainly, Prince Loki. Perhaps you are in need to have your hearing glanced at."

"My hearing is impeccable, my lady. I was making sure you had the stomach to say that to me twice." He said darkly, stopping in front of her.

His sudden action forced her stop as well, and she looked up at his face with a final huff. "Do you truly think I want your company?"

The Prince raised his eyebrows as he looked at her, "I am afraid I am at a loss as to why you feel such scorn towards me."

"Truly?" She asked, lowering her voice at him. "I am not so low a woman to endure your mockery for the majority of an afternoon, and then crawl back to you for more of your company."

Loki kept his cool, smiling at her pleasantly enough. "I am a Prince, my lady, if I ask you to crawl you will do so."

His voice made Vijona shiver, the way his gaze simply bore into hers made her uneasy. Mustering up the best of her courage she growled darkly under her breath, "I shall keep that in mind." Brushing past him and walking faster down the hallway.

"Lady Vijona!"

The Vanir bit the inside of her mouth before turning around once more to face the man. Magga by this time knew to stand at the woman's side. "Yes, Prince Loki?"

His eyes shone something serious. This was not a man to be trifled with. Every fiber of Vijona's body told her to run; yet she held her ground beneath the man's gaze. A deep intake of breath squared the man's shoulders, and he seemed to bite the inside of his own mouth before he spoke to her quietly. "I… apologize… for my words, and my previous actions. Please, join me for dinner."

"… Perhaps." She said mildly, turning on her heel one final time as she made her move to continue down the large hallway. Vijona's heart was beating wildly, her face flushing red as she weaved past servants and guards. Magga tried to call out to Vijona once. She sounded so far away. When did Vijona start running? She did not know, but she would not stop. Not anytime soon.

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**_Hello! Happy 2014! Thank-you for reading. Thanks to those that have reviewed, favorited, and followed. Also, quick shout out to all you lurky lurkersons. I updated for you guys. Apologizing for the lateness, holidays are always a bit crazy for everyone, and this chapter was for some reason a pain in the neck! I plan on updating once more very soon. -MH_


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